Wine Blast with Susie and Peter

Wine. Food. Merriment. And a touch of southern French sun.

That just about sums up this episode.

We're exploring Occitanie - the sun-kissed southern French region that stretches from the western Rhone through Languedoc and Roussillon into South West France.

Taken as a whole, it's the world's largest vineyard and makes around 5% of global wine output.

In the past, these regions have been criticised for focusing on quantity over quality and being out of touch with the modern wine world.

But things have changed significantly in recent decades, as the vineyard has been drastically shrunk and successful producers have focused on quality, innovation, value, indigenous varieties and the future.

And that's not all this part of the world is known for. It also boasts a mighty fine gastronomic scene. 

So yes, you guessed it: we couldn't resist. 

In this episode we're serving up six dishes inspired by southern French ingredients: mushroom arancini, Mediterranean shellfish stew, cod with beurre blanc and winter ratatouille, Toulouse sausage casserole, duck shepherd's pie and Roquefort.

Then we find Occitanie wines to pair with those different dishes, neatly illustrating the diversity of the region in the process, from elegant sparkling wine to lusciously sweet Vin Doux Naturel via a brand new style of Picpoul de Pinet that we didn't know about.

Along the way we hear from expert Matthew Stubbs MW plus growers Jean-Claude Mas (Les Domaines Paul Mas) and Pauline Nadal (Domaine Nadal Hainaut).

Somehow we touch on manure, fried brians (yes, you read that right), Asterix, bootcamps, touchy-feely labels, wines with soul and a nitrogen generator.

Thanks to the Occitanie Region for sponsoring this podcast. 

Just a few of the wines we feature in this episode are:

• Sieur d'Arques Crémant de Limoux Blason Rouge Brut NV
• Roc des Angles Llum 2022, Côtes Calanes
• Les Vignerons de Florensac Picpoul de Pinet Selection 2020
• Château Estanilles Vallongue rosé 2022, Faugères
• Calmel & Joseph Les Terroirs La Fabrique 2021, Côtes du Brian
• Clos d'Elpis Elpis Route 2021, Côtes Catalanes
• Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel 1998

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode, including full listings of all the wines featured in the show, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E10 - A Southern French Feast

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

Our Wines of the Year format has grown into this riotous, rollicking rollercoaster of a show which we humbly offer up for your amusement and delectation.

This is no shopping list.

Nor is it a chest-beating exercise in showing off how #wineblessed we are.

This episode is the story of a year in wine: a celebration of special bottles and special times, set against the backdrop of news, views and a lot of laughter.

Featuring in this wine-soaked adventure are Dutch nuns, kiwis, Homer Simpson, talking corks, Susie in a balloon suit, gravy, Nigel the dog, a broom-brandishing Greek grandmother, Jesus and Peter's pants.

We discuss wine news including the latest wine fraud hoo-ha (and a new AI tool to fight wine fakery), why Bordeaux may be uprooting 10% of its vineyard, how major foreign investment is boosting English wine and the latest research offering the tantalising prospect of solving the mystery of red wine headaches.

Your listener feedback and questions get an airing, touching on English fizz, Portuguese wine, the dream of owning a vineyard in Italy, breathless Colorado winemaking - and what we do with our leftovers.

Wines featured range from an Essex Sauvignon Blanc to a Japanese Pinot Noir via an 'aromatised wine-based drink' that's considerably tastier than its official designation.

To cap it all we announce our BIG GONGS, which this year we've expanded to include Producer of the Year, Value Wine of the Year and, in the constant quest for ever more fun, Leftfield Wine of the Year.

Atop this particular tree, though, is just one wine: our Wine of the Year. What in the world could it be?!

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Phil Tuck MW, who loved nothing more than sharing great wines with friends. An inspiration to us all.

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode, including full listings of all the wines featured in the show and more (particularly the good value bottles) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E9 - Our Wines of the Year (2023)

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

Odessa Black.

It's the name of a (Ukranian) grape variety. But it could almost be code for the desperate times the people of Ukraine are living through.

In this episode, we explore the history and current context of Ukraine, hearing first-hand insights from Tania Olevska of the Ukrainian Wine Company and Svitlana Tsybak of the Beykush winery.

Despite the chaos and devastation in Ukraine, wine represents a point of hope, an expression of Ukrainian culture, terroir, identity and resilience.

Although what is Europe's second largest country has a long relationship with the vine, quality wine isn't one of Ukraine's most emblematic products. 

That started to change after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and since 2010 there has been a quality revolution as a new wave of craft winemakers captured the public attention.

Then came full-scale war with Russia in early 2022. 

But Ukraine's winemakers are refusing to be cowed. They soldier on, ministering to their vines as the relentless rhythms of winemaking insist they must. 

Despite the shells and rockets overhead. Despite the mortal peril that has already cost so many lives, including many from the wine community.

'We didn't pay money for our PR; we paid [with] the lives of Ukrainians for our PR,' says Tania, grimly.

And yet celebrating and savouring Ukraine's new wave wines is an act of joy, resistance and solidarity in its own right.

In this episode, we raise a glass for exactly this reason, and hear many an eye-opening, heart-warming story along the way.  Wines we recommend include:

• Shabo Telti Kuruk Reserve 2022, Odessa
• Biologist Sukholimanskiy 2022, Kyiv
• Beykush Lerici Timorasso 2021, Mikolaiv
• Kolonist Odessa Blanc 2021, Bessarabia

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E8 - Ukraine: Wine not War

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

Languedoc is a wine region on the move.

Sure, it's a huge region with plenty of history, some of it troubled.

But there are things happening in Languedoc wine now that are innovative, surprising, intriguing and...well, delicious. 

In short, it's well worthy of our attention.

In this episode, sponsored by AOP Languedoc, we chat to writers Rupert Millar and Rosemary George MW, and we also hear from wine growers Benoît Bertrand (Domaine de Malavieille) and Jenia Vermillard (Domaine Ampelhus).

We hear of ambitious attempts to revive long lost grape varieties from the verge of extinction, and ingenious solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.

We explore the region's renown for good value in its wines, consider its historic ups and downs, and look to what the future might hold.

Along the way we somehow feature feather boas, Lithuania, a stray dog, the Romans, shrinking pains, finishing school, architecture, Assyrtiko, violins, agroforestry and ratatouille. 

Oh, and a love story.

And of course it wouldn't be a normal episode of Wine Blast if we didn't taste and recommend some brilliant wines. These beauties are all AOP Languedoc wines:

• Chateau de Lascaux Garrigue Blanc 2021 
• Paul Mas Jardin de Roses Traviata 2022 
• Bergerie du Capucin Les 100 Pas du Berger Rouge 2020 
• Domaine de Roquemale Les Grés 2020 
• Domaine Ampelhus Languedoc Grés de Montpellier 2022 
• Clos des Nines L’Orée 2020 
• Domaine Les Aurelles Solen 2000 

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E7: The New Face of Languedoc

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

We're going full-on Moses mode in this episode, nailing down the ten wines you should always have at home.

Of course, personal taste plays a part. You want to have wines to hand you're going to reach for - which means your favourite styles.

But beyond that, it helps to have some expert insight into the bigger picture in order to always have delicious, affordable and useful wines when you need them.

Our primary objective is joyous everyday drinking.

But also: what works best with food, versatile wines to serve guests, give as gifts, wines that get better over time if you buy a few, ideal wines for those impromptu celebrations, wines for both summer and winter...we even introduce the notion of, 'emergency wine'.

So we define our top 10 'go-to' wine staples. We're aware this is potentially controversial territory. But we also hope it's helpful too.

Helping us out in this challenging task are the fine people at Waitrose, who are sponsoring this episode.

Waitrose do a fine line in wine and, as we focus on these indispensable wine categories, we've chosen individual wines from their range to illustrate our decisions.

When we originally ran this episode, Waitrose had a special offer on: 25% off when you buy 6 or more bottles from £6-100. For the sake of clarity, that offer has now expired (though they do tend to repeat these offers periodically).

But even at the non-discount prices, these wines still represent great quality and value.

So what are the ten wines never to be without? Tune in to find out... 

The wines featured in this episode are:

• Hattingley Classic Reserve Brut NV, England
• Saint Clair Wairau Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022, New Zealand
• Bouchard Finlayson Crocodile’s Lair Chardonnay 2021, South Africa
• Leitz Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Kabinett 2022, Germany
• Muga Rioja Rosé 2022, Spain
• Joseph Drouhin Chorey-Les-Beaune 2020, France
• Baron de Ley Club Privado Rioja Reserva 2018, Spain
• Terre di Faiano Puglia Primitivo 2021, Italy
• Chateau Oumsiyat Mijana 2019, Lebanon
• Crociani Vin Santo di Montepulciano 2017, Italy
• Florent Rouve Arbois Chardonnay 2020, France
• Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino 2016, Italy

 We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E6: The Ten Wines Never to be Without

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

English sparkling wine. We all know it's good.

But how well does it age?

And could this be the secret to unlocking even greater quality from what are already exciting wines?

We do our best to answer these questions and more with the help of several large glasses of very fine mature English fizz - and top winemakers Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix (Nyetimber) and Corinne Seely (Exton Park).

We also hear the views of Clément Pierlot, cellar master at Champagne Pommery and its English offshoot, Louis Pommery England.

We explore what makes an ageworthy sparkling wine (busting a few common myths along the way). And talk about how best to get ahead of the game...

We recommend some of the finest examples of mature English fizz we can get our hands on - from the likes of Nyetimber, Sugrue South Downs, Hattingley Valley, Breaky Bottom, Wiston, Exton Park, Chapel Down and The Grange.

Along the way we discuss magnums, lees ageing, dosage, vintage, variety, yields, storage, balance - and the value of patience.

What's more, Peter gets called 'Mr Humper Dumper' by Susie and shares one of his more insightful tasting notes, which simply reads: 'GIVE ME THE MAGS!'

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E5: Ageing English Fizz - How, Why and What

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - and cheers to you!

It's a wine region variously described as, 'dynamic', whose wines are undergoing a quality 'revolution', and memorably compared to South Africa's uber-cool Swartland.

It's also got a big old mountain on its picture postcard. Not to mention truffles galore.

This is Ventoux. 

And we want to take you on a journey of discovery, to meet the people, explore the places, get a feel for the wines...and generally understand why Ventoux is worth your time and attention.

The mountain, it turns out, is important. It makes this one of the coolest appellations in the southern Rhône, giving the wines freshness and vitality. Peter slogs (metaphorically) up to the peak to prove the point.

It also helps in the ongoing efforts to adapt to climate change.

As for the wines...we dive in, exploring the region's unique whites, rosés and reds, the latter constituting the majority of production. And we explore ways in which the wines are changing and evolving with the future in mind.

We ask why so many outsiders have gravitated to Ventoux, experimenting and collaborating along the way. And we explore the region's value-for-money credentials.

The discussion also touches on lycra, beetroot, Cinsault, wine as theatre, joy and butterflies. 

Oh, and did we mention truffles?

This episode is sponsored by AOC Ventoux. The following producers are featured:

• Domaine du Tix
• Domaine Aymard
• Marrenon
• Chateau Unang
• Domaine de Fondrèche
• Chêne Bleu
• Chateau Pesquié
• Clos du Trias

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E4: Ventoux - Next Century Wines

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

What are the wine books every wine lover should own?

We thought about it. We argued. We drank some wine. Argued some more...

And then we decided: let's go for it. No messing around: choose just the six BEST books every wine lover needs, whether enthusiastic newbie or jaded expert.

It wasn't easy. But this is the DEFINITIVE listing. A lot of thought and research went into this. Even some reading.

Along the way we came across some bits that stopped us in our tracks. Like Hitler's secret wine cellar, 'freak' wines, the link between a dentist's drill and the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold, fish finger sandwiches, some cheeky poetry, the 'one-night-stand' of wines...

And of course the quote about the salad and the sex toy 😳

And that's from one of the most reputable voices in wine...

In this episode, we heroically save you from the drivel and point you firmly towards the stuff of dreams.

We choose the all-time six best wine books - plus six runners up (to make a full case of 12). With a few honourable mentions along the way.

We also reveal our pet hates about wine books - and question whether books have a future at all.

Perhaps, in your cheerful opinion, you believe we've got this list wrong. Maybe missed off the most life-changing publication EVER. Or you just fancy wading into the debate...

Either way: do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E3: The Six Best Wine Books

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Wines tasted in this episode

• Champagne G.H. Mumm Brut Millésimé 2015
• Côte-Rôtie 2011, Domaine Burgaud
• P&J Teulier Le Cros Marcillac Lo Sang del Païs 2021

This is a tale of deception, daring, disaster...and deliverance.

It also features skinny sheep and wine robots.

It's the story of Marlborough, the iconic New Zealand wine region which is celebrating its 50th wine birthday, after vines were planted by Frank Yukich in August 1973.

Yukich had risked personal financial ruin getting to this point. 'Wines from here will become world famous!' he declared. 

Shortly after which most of the vines died from drought.

But no adventure story is without its supreme setbacks. And this story features everything from the Queen to gut-rot via shiny tractors.

On the wine front, it's sobering to think just how far Marlborough has come in 50 harvests, from a shaky start to sensational Sauvignon Blanc and much more besides. It's a region helping set the global agenda for the wine of the future - and a tribute to the imaginative, resilient Kiwi spirit.

This is a sponsored episode in collaboration with New Zealand Winegrowers. We taste and recommend the following wines from Marlborough:

• Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2022
• Brancott Estate Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2015
• Hans Herzog Zweigelt 2017
• Hans Herzog Spirit of Marlborough 2016
• Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2022
• Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2021
• Lawson's Dry Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2021
• Blank Canvas Reed Chardonnay 2022
• Villa Maria Seddon Pinot Gris 2020
• Wairau River Pinot Noir 2021

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E2: Marlborough at 50

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

'My wife suggested we make wine. I think in the hope of cutting down our wine bill...'

It's classic John Malkovich. The wit as dry as his aged Provençal Pinot Noir rosé (yes, you read that right).

In this epic episode, we get to know John Malkovich the famous actor of stage and screen - but also John Malkovich the fashion designer, the theatre director, and most importantly John Malkovich the wine producer.

This truly is a man for all seasons. But Malkovich seldom abides by convention - and his wine venture in the south of France, Les Quelles de La Coste, typifies this approach. He's planted atypical wine grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere - and (whisper it) Pinot Noir. He's even blending them together...

For the wine classicists, this is nothing short of vinous heresy.

So the big questions are: Is this just another cookie-cutter celeb wine project, or is it different? What are the wines actually like? Come to that, what's John Malkovich actually like?

Join us as we pose the tricky questions, hear from the man himself and give our verdict on the wines.

Along the way, John advises wine producers how best to launder money, defines what talent is, explains why he doesn't 'do' pride, identifies the greatest honour of his working life and tells a horror story of how he lost his 'spectacular' 2017 Cabernet.

We also touch on topics as diverse as the Marquis de Sade, fabric collecting, beer chugging, 'boom boom' wines, the importance of details, and how making wine can break your heart.

As the man says: 'I don't consider anything I do particularly provocative. It's just what I do. Which just seems to provoke people...'

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S5 E1: The John Malkovich EXCLUSIVE.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Foot note: This episode, and the entire Season Five of Wine Blast, is dedicated to the memory of Phil Tuck MW.

This bonus episode may be the last in the current season (4) but it's also a first - the first time we've ever recorded the pod in front of a live audience!

A lovely bunch of people came together in our home town of Winchester to drink a glass or two of fine Hampshire fizz and bombard us with searching questions, from which wines we'd recommend for a large and varied dinner party crowd to the implications of climate change for wine.

They even asked us what were the most pretentious wine descriptions we'd ever used. I mean, the cheek of it...

We also touched on issues ranging from 'sulfite-free' wine to no/low alcohol, our favourite Chardonnay and rosé, which are the best wine regions to visit, the rise of English wine, multi-vintage versus vintage sparkling wine - and what wines you should ALWAYS have at home.

In our introduction we also feature some recent listener feedback from a Napa wine grower questioning how he should explain terroir to visitors to a professor on how microbes (yeasts) can influence a wine's mouthfeel.

We also feature a plug for our sensational value charity sparkling wine - please click here if you'd like to buy a bottle or two of Hope & Glory to help us raise funds for the brilliant Marine Conservation Society.

As for the live Q&A format, we could get used to it. You have been warned. Wine Blast on Tour may be coming to a speakeasy near you soon...

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E25: LIVE Q&A (Winchester).

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

This episode opens by linking Oppenheimer, Covid-19 and wine - and proceeds to go big by focusing on the small stuff.

Microbes. The invisible world of yeasts, bacteria and beyond.

We're just starting to understand how important microbes are in terms of defining wine style and quality.

Sure, yeasts ferment grape sugars into alcohol. But they also do a whole lot more, as fascinating new research is revealing.

Previously, many definitions of 'terroir' (what might be defined as a wine's 'sense of place' or perhaps 'distinctiveness') were limited to the role of soil and climate. If you were lucky, human influence garnered a passing mention.

Now it's becoming clear that biology - and in particular microbiology - has more of a say in how a wine turns out than what was previously thought. Time for the textbooks to be re-written...

In this episode, we talk to world-leading researchers Professor Matthew Goddard and Ignacio Belda, to get to the heart of the latest thinking and science.

Turns out there is such a thing as, 'the microbial face of terroir' - even single vineyards have unique microbial signatures, and there's a proven percentage we can put to how much a wine's chemistry is influenced by that microbiome from the vineyard to the fermentation and beyond.

In short, wine is the product of invisible bugs as much as it is the product of human hand or climatic and geographical phenomena.

The implications are profound.

Not just regarding how we define terroir. But also in terms of how winegrowers should farm to protect their unique vineyard microbiomes, how winemakers should best manage their fermentations, even how we wine drinkers should appreciate our wines (while protecting our own human microbiomes - the two can work together!)

There's even talk of synthetic yeast being developed that can not only craft specific flavours in wine but also inform a winemaker when a fermentation needs to be checked...

This is a fascinating field of research, one currently reaching fever pitch right now, so we report on and discuss the latest findings, which will be sure to make you think about wine in a new light.

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E24: The Microbial Face of Terroir.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Did you know that Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir in the world?

Or that one in three Riesling vines in the world grow in German vineyards - and much of these are making dry, increasingly terroir-driven wines these days?

There's much that's surprising, or perhaps unexpected about German wine right now.

For long the sector under-performed - but a series of changes since the late 1980s (a process that's still ongoing, accelerated by climate change) has re-invigorated German wine, redefining its possibilities and forging a bright new future.

There's even talk of the wines being, 'sexy' and of, 'pulling power'...

All of which, plus the fact we're just back from Germany (and have had an intriguing listener question in), is the perfect excuse to explore German wine.

We hear from Master of Wine and German specialist Alison Flemming plus Stefan Doktor, MD of the world-famous Schloss Johannisberg. 

Along the way we talk terroir, global warming, food matching, GG and the rise of dry Riesling, why 'succulent' is such a good tasting term, PIWIs, and why a swimming pool was important for a 1964 Auslese...

Our thanks to Wines of Germany for sponsoring this episode and helping source some fantastic bottles for us to try and recommend. They are:

• Frey Pinot Blanc 2021, Rheinhessen
• Maximin Grunhaus Maximin Pinot Blanc 2021, Mosel
• Klein Riesling S Trocken 2021, Pfalz
• Robert Weil Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken 2021, Rheingau
• Pauly Lieser Niederberg Helden Kabinett 2021, Mosel
• Shelter Winery Spätburgunder 2020, Baden

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E23: Germany's Pulling Power.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

It's a wine word almost everyone uses - but no one really knows what it means, what causes it, or where it's come from.

It makes some people angry, it leaves others mystified - but some adore the term and can't get enough of it. 

Is this yet another example in wine of (as one listener calls it), 'superstition, witchcraft and myth' that is nothing more than, 'absolute b*llocks'?!

Welcome to the big 'minerality' mystery.

In this episode, we dare to dive headlong into the snakepit of confusion, ambiguity and downright mystery that is the notion of 'minerality' in wine.

But we're not alone. We've recruited the likes of sensory scientist Dr Heber Rodrigues and writer Meg Maker to enlighten us with the latest research and thinking on this intriguing topic.

We ask questions like: what makes a wine mineral? What do people mean by the term? Which wines in particular tend to show mineral characteristics? Is it a good or a bad thing? Is it a vineyard or winemaking phenomenon? 

Ultimately - should we get rid of it, or cherish it?

We taste two wines in order to put our own language under the microscope. There's an element of mud-slinging and mutual recrimination before we manage (more or less) to define what we mean by minerality.

We also give a final judgement on whether, in our view, minerality should be part of the wine lexicon or not. The result...may surprise you.

Wines tasted in this episode

• UVC Chablis Premier Cru 2010, Esprit de Chablis, 12.5%
• Anhydrous Afoura Santorini Assyrtiko 2021, 14%

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E22: The Mystery of Minerality.

This episode is dedicated to Dr Wendy Parr, a leading light in the world of sensory perception and wine.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

We all know port. But there’s a whole universe of fine Portuguese table wine out just waiting to be explored. It’s far less known but certainly no less exciting…so we dive in.

Peter’s fired up after a recent trip to host a masterclass in Porto, where he tasted wines back to 1978 and recorded with a selection of Portugal’s top wine talent, from Dirk and Daniel Niepoort to Sandra Tavares, Luis Pato, Susana Esteban and Tomas Roquette.

Once back, he made sure to call in some special wines to taste and share on air, including the legendary Barca Velha, Portugal’s most famous red – a wine that launched a thousand bottles… It’s not a wine you get to see very often, let alone taste, so this is a privileged insight.

Let’s not beat around the bush: this is a tasting featuring a healthy amount of disagreement. These are undoubtedly fine, characterful, often intriguing wines – but they can (clearly) polarise opinion. We explore the reasons why.

Also featured in this episode are (sometimes anguished) listener feedback about our Santorini mini-series, the ‘Porta 6 effect’, Maserati, roof-hoping, Javier Bardem, field blends, ozone, and a €1,000 magnum. 

Peter gets a blind-wine challenge live on air – and we also touch on how to lose €10m with one word…

Wines tasted in this episode

• Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Branco 2022, Bairrada, 13%
• Susana Esteban Procura Branco 2020, Alentejano, 13%
• Niepoort Redoma Branco 2021, Douro, 11.5%
• Meandro do Vale Meão 2020, Douro, 14%
• Mouchão Tonel 3-4 2013, Alentejo, 14.5%
• Barca Velha 2011, Douro, 14.5%

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website (link below).

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E21: Portugal's Fine Wines - Here Be Treasures.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

‘From virtually any soil a high-quality wine can be made. The use of geology to promote the quality of a wine is thus merely a marketing tool.’ 

This is an episode that may ruffle a few feathers.

We speak to two wine-loving geologists, Professor Alex Maltman and Dr Geert-Jan Vis (the latter responsible for the quote above). Both of them raise serious questions about the line the wine world often endorses about how geology (think: limestone, schist, granite) influences wine.

Vis calls the notion that geology and soil influence wine style, ‘romantic b*llocks’. Maltman says it’s, ‘over-hyped’ and writes, ‘simply saying a wine comes from a particular rock doesn’t convey anything about what I might expect from a wine.’

And yet we regularly see wine literature talking about limestone or granite, Kimmeridgian or Jurassic (and so on) and linking this explicitly to wine quality and style.

And this isn’t even to get started on the topic of ‘minerality’ in wine…

So what gives? What’s really going on here? To what extent can geology and soil be seen to impact the vine and wine? Or, to flip it round, to what extent do experts think that the role of geology and soil is over-rated and misunderstood when it comes to wine?

It’s important to say we’re not being deliberately controversial or trying to undermine the concept of terroir (the notion that specific places produce wines with specific characteristics).

What we’re doing is asking questions and challenging a set of prevalent assumptions which we feel is…well…questionable.

We’re aware this episode might provoke debate so please feel free to get in touch. Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E20: No Schist Sherlock - How Wine Gets Rocks Wrong.

This is the first in a loosely-connected series of programmes in which we’ll tackle tricky or controversial issues in wine, from minerality to microbiology and yeasts. All with the aim of provoking informed debate, challenging questionable opinions and seeking clarity above all.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Ps and if you don’t know what petrichor is – we’ve got the answer…

Santorini's future is in jeopardy. This ancient, famous island vineyard risks being lost beneath the tourism industry's bulldozers. So how can its wine community fight back?

By making exceptional, characterful, inimitable wines and selling them to the world, that's how.

In this episode (our 100th Wine Blast programme, appropriately enough!) we dive into what makes Santorini's wines as distinctive and unique as they undoubtedly are. From the steely, majestic dry Santorini Assyrtiko to the sumptuous vinsantos and all the curios in between, this is a vibrant wine scene that's only getting more diverse and quality-focused.

Taking in views form the younger generation as well as more experienced hands, we discuss eye-opening topics from how the minerality of Santorini wines is exacerbated by the salt blown in off the sea to why Burgundy might be growing Assyrtiko soon.

Along the way we touch on orange wine, flor, tasting an 1847 Santorini Assyrtiko, amphorae, alcohol, the future - and Peter somehow signs up for hard manual labour.

This episode is the second and final installment in a sponsored mini-series in collaboration with Wines of PDO Santorini.

All details from this episode are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E19 - Santorini: Wines to Save an Island.

Please do keep your comments and questions coming! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Let's go on an adventure to a place variously described as, 'Like being shot to the moon with a glass of fine wine in your hand' and where, 'you basically have the personality of an active volcano in your glass.'

Santorini is arguably the ultimate wine destination - a windswept, arid, infertile outcrop of an island in the glittering Aegean Sea. Stunning - but bleak, and where the memory of one of the most violet volcanic eruptions in human history can not only be seen but also tasted in your glass.

Wine is one of the few crops to thrive here, albeit at the cost of back-breaking labour and marginal profitability due to tiny yields and regular setbacks. The island's historic sweet vinsantos have most likely been enjoyed for thousands of years - the dry whites made from the majestic, fierce Assyrtiko grape are astonishing symphonies of bracing acidity, steely structure and salty minerality.

These are true jewels in the wine world's crown. One producer speculates, with good reason, that Santorini, 'is the oldest vineyard on the planet.' Phylloxera-free, you see... Hence the Jurassic Park reference.

For Peter, Santorini Assyrtiko is the ultimate food wine, able to pair with everything from delicate oysters to rich lamb and beyond. No wonder one wine grower describes this place as, 'the Mecca of wine'.

But all is not well in wine paradise. Climate change batters the vineyard in the form of heatwaves and hail. Mass tourism threatens not only to overwhelm the island's infrastructure and drain the workforce but, more critically, erase vineyards permanently as land is sold to developers.

The result is that Santorini's vineyard has declined by a third between 2005 and 2022. 'Sometimes in Santorini it feels like we're forgotten by God' commented one local wine producer.

Now, though, the island's wine community is fighting back. In this first episode of a two-part mini-series in collaboration with Wines of PDO Santorini, we set the scene - taking in the island's intriguing history, exploring the bizarre vineyards, talking to key wine producers, and not shying away from the challenges the island's wine community faces.

As for how the wine producers are fighting to ensure wine's survival, we discover plans to declare the entire island's production organic - which would be the first ever entire PDO appellation to do such.

There's also a UNESCO application in the pipeline - and plans to raise prices in order to ensure the survival of the vineyard.

Don't miss the next and final episode in this mini-series, where we explore Santorini's fierce, remarkable grapes, wine and food - and look to the future, both in terms of challenges but also reasons to be hopeful.

All details from this episode (including photos of these unique kouloura basket vines) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E18 - Santorini: Wine's Jurassic Park.

Please do keep your comments and questions coming! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

What wine news is worthy of your attention? How should you warm up your (fine) wines in an emergency? What wines are really worth paying silly money for? And which wines should we have loved...but didn't? 

These are just some of the questions we dive into in this Listener Q&A episode, where we respond to your brilliant comments, feedback and questions.

And we field one other question too: are we even married to each other?!

No spoilers here... Suffice it to say that along this particularly fun ride we touch on subjects as diverse as Japanese wine anime Drops of God, wildfires in Chile, Michel Roux Jr, marriage counselling, Cahors, Malcolm Gladwell, alternatives to Grange, our infamous 20-20 wine rule, re-writing wine's ancient history, Leonardo di Caprio - and 'pan-gate'.

We also ask that most critical of questions: are you a wine cuddler...or a wine microwaver?

All details from this episode (including the juicy photos and tweets we refer to in this episode) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E17 - News & Views 1.

Given this episode is all about your comments and questions, please do keep them coming! We'd love to hear your views on our subscription plans too. Do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Chardonnay polarises people. But times change and this is a grape that's moved on - arguably nowhere more so than in New Zealand, which in recent years has started to deliver quality, diversity and great value in spades.

It's timely, too, given the supply shortages and booming prices of the wines from Chardonnay's motherland in Burgundy.

We're Chardonnay superfans and we've been licking our lips at how far and fast New Zealand Chardonnay has evolved lately. So it's exciting to hook up with New Zealand Winegrowers for this sponsored episode charting that dramatic evolution and exploring why there's more to the land of the long white cloud than Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

New Zealand wine superstars Michael Brajkovich MW (Kumeu River) and Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas give us the inside track, full of eye-opening insights and informed opinion. Including the following quote: 'I'm just gonna come out and say it: New Zealand Chardonnay can outclass Burgundy.'

There's a bit of geeking out about Chardonnay winemaking - from oak barrels to malolactic fermentation - all with the aim of better understanding this most shape-shifting of grape varieties, and why New Zealand is doing such a good job with it (clue: a cool climate is key).

We also dive into the fascinating topic of that much sought-after (and also misunderstood) character in Chardonnay sometimes referred to as, 'reductive', 'struck match', 'toasty' or 'flinty'. We wrestle with the vexed issue of how to refer to it and come up with an absurd but catchy alternative...

Along the way we touch on how the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle has impacted the country as well as vintage 2023. You can support by donating to the Cyclone Gabrielle wine relief funds or buying and drinking wines from the most affected areas like Hawke's Bay and Gisborne - which ties neatly into our theme given Chardonnay is the leading variety in both those regions.

Finally, we taste and recommend some favourite New Zealand Chardonnays including:

• Wairau Cove Chardonnay 2021, Gisborne
• Esk Valley Seabed Chardonnay 2019, Hawke's Bay
• Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2021, Auckland
• Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2021, Auckland
• Neudorf Tiritiri Chardonnay 2019, Nelson
• Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2021, Marlborough
• Greywacke Chardonnay 2019, Marlborough

All details from this episode (including further wine and producer recommendations) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E16 - Ahead of the Curve with New Zealand Chardonnay.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Could it be true?! No more hangovers is a tantalising notion, a Holy Grail for many drinkers. But how could this happen, and what would it mean for the world of booze and wine?

Join us as we dive headlong into the enthralling world of hangover hacks (including at least one credible ‘remedy’) and explore the new breed of so-called functional drinks, which promise to deliver the buzz of booze without the bad effects.

But do these functional drinks and hangover hacks actually work? We put our bodies on the line in the name of research – and deliver our verdict.

Illuminating the subject is Professor David Nutt, an expert of global renown on the effects of alcohol on the brain who’s developing a novel synthetic alternative to alcohol (Alcarelle) as well as a range of functional botanical drinks (Sentia).

That said, he freely admits to enjoying a glass or two of full-bodied red at the weekend…and boldly identifies, ‘the best way to minimise a hangover’. Gold dust!

‘Alcohol is the ultimate social drug,’ comments Nutt. ‘But we can improve on alcohol…’

During the course of this intriguing discussion, we consider the role and effects of adaptogens as well as the vital but largely unknown GABA neurotransmitter and how the GABA system might be crucial to the new wave of functional drinks.

Somehow we also manage to touch on horse-riding, space ships, drunken rats, expensive spas, the Nobel Prize, protozoa, hyper-glutamatergic state, the microbiome and whipping yourself with a birch branch in a sauna.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic – be it hangover remedies or your experiences with functional drinks. Give us a shout!

Here are the functional cocktails we taste in this episode:

• Edi Spirited and tonic
• Sentia Sun
• Livener Bellini
• Sentia Spice

All details from this episode (including further wine and producer recommendations) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E15 - The End of the Hangover?

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

Every wine lover craves great Pinot Noir. Burgundy is ever pricier and scarcer. So where to look?

Australia might not seem the obvious destination for Pinot Noir. It’s better known for hefty reds (think: Shiraz, Cabernet), historic styles like Hunter Semillon or its heroic ‘stickies’ (sweet and fortified like Rutherglen). 

And if there’s a Burgundian variety closely associated with Oz, it’s Chardonnay.

And yet…over the last few years, Ozzie Pinot Noir has come on leaps and bounds to capture the zeitgeist and become the grape everyone’s talking about. From Tasmania to Yarra, Mornington, Adelaide Hills and beyond, this is a grape helping re-define modern Australian wine and offering wine drinkers a glimpse of wine nirvana.

In this sponsored episode with Wine Australia, we talk to writer Matthew Jukes, grower Mac Forbes and sommelier Jane Lopes to tell the story of how and why Australian Pinot Noir has gone from zero to hero, and what the future holds. 

We talk terroir, regionality, climate change, sustainability, winemaking – and tackle the elephant in the room, value for money. (There’s also mention of tomato throwing, UV, the Holy Grail, stomping, the God complex, DNA – plus Susie admits she loves a wine more than Peter...)

As ever, we taste and recommend some favourites which capture the impressive diversity and sheer thrill of Ozzie Pinot Noir, including:

• Heirloom Vineyards Pinot Noir 2021, Adelaide Hills, 13.5%
• Ben Haines 'Colour Block' Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley, 11.5% 
• JC’s Own Morialta Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020,  Adelaide Hills, 14.5%
• Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley, 13.5% 
• Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, Coal River Valley, Tasmania, 13.5%

This episode contains the memorable quote: 'Why fart around with Burgundy when you can buy this?!'

All details from this episode (including further wine and producer recommendations) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E14 - Australian Pinot Noir Comes of Age.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!

This podcast is GOOD FOR YOU! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise...

In this mind-blowing episode we have an exclusive interview with the world-famous Professor Tim Spector, expert in the human microbiome - this population of friendly microbes that lives inside all of us and which acts almost like an extra organ, boosting our immune system, fighting disease and even influencing our mental health.

According to Spector, these microbes are so numerous and influential that we're all effectively, 'half human, half bug.'

Spector has studied how what we eat and drink influences our gut microbiome and thus our health - and the good news is that red wine drunk daily in moderation can definitely boost our microbiome in beneficial ways. Hallelujah!

So, it's a case of: Eat, Drink Red and Be Merry. But not too merry...

This is an episode not to miss! Other questions we explore include:

• Why red wine is better for our health than white wine or other forms of booze
• How much is too much when it comes to wine and health
• Why we may need to re-think the concept of 'hazy' wine or decanting (to take wine off the sediment) given it's thought that even dead yeast cells can be good for us 
• How fermentation is key to health benefits because it increases the complexity of polyphenols 
• Why wine could be the source of the ultimate health drink
• Why drinking as many different red grape varieties as possible is a good idea because each will nourish different microbes, and diversity is key for health
• Why we need to take official government health advice (and those peddling supplements) with a pinch of salt
• How people playing around with precision fermentation, microbes and other modern techniques will revolutionise wine and beer in the next few years

Along the way we talk natural wine, polyphenols, wild ferments, sweet spots, long lunches, hangovers and Big Ben. As ever, we find time to enjoy and recommend a few bottles of wine (and benefit our microbiome while doing so). In this episode we have:

• Clos Basté Madiran 2019, France
• Château Montus Madiran 2016, France
• Plaimont L'Empreinte de Saint Mont rouge 2018, France
• Catena High Mountain Vines Malbec 2017, Argentina

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E13: Wine and Your Microbiome - A Recipe for Health?

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can get in touch via our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you! 

Stuff is going down in Beaujolais.

Natural wine is a hot trend. Beaujolais Nouveau is re-inventing itself. The top sites have never made better wine. A new generation is revitalising the scene. Geological research has revealed eye-opening results. And growers aren't afraid to throw caution to the wind (Côte Rôtie barrels and Sciacarello anyone?!)

Phew.

It's also newsworthy: the region is submitting its first ever application for the top sites to be designated Premier Cru, the highly-prized status afforded only to some of the finest vineyards in Burgundy.

We get the low-down on all of this courtesy of dogged investigative work (yes...we do include drinking wine under that heading...) as well as interviews with leading growers Grégoire Hoppenot and Xavier Thivolle plus Caroline Santoyo of Inter Beaujolais and David Roberts MW of Goedhuis & Co.

We also throw in some factoids. For example, did you know that until World War II, a bottle of good Moulin-à-Vent Beaujolais cost the same as a bottle of Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru?! Or that Beaujolais is considered to be one of the original heartlands of natural wine, home to a 'viticultural prophet'?

This is a sponsored episode with Inter Beaujolais - it's a topic we've been longing to cover for a while so fantastic to have an opportunity to catch up with the latest from what is a dynamic and multi-faceted region.

Topics under discussion include Gamay, gobelet, Beaujolais as an alternative to ever-pricier Côte d'Or Burgundy, lieux-dits, The Last of Us, pink granite, the ten famous Beaujolais 'crus' and carbonic maceration.

And after all that we're in need of refreshment so taste and recommend a selection of truly outstanding Beaujolais wines (details in full show notes), including:

• Les 3 Madones Beaujolais-Villages 2021, Cave du Château des Loges 
• GAM Beaujolais-Villages 2021, Domaine Lathuilière-Gravallon 
• Fleurie Roche Guillon 2019, Domaine de Fa 
• Morgon Côte du Py 2020, Jean-Marc Burgaud
• Fleurie 2021, Julien Sunier
• Morgon Eponym 2021, Jean Foillard

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E12 - The New Beaujolais.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you! 

Has Burgundy gone bonkers?!

Off the back of a nightmare 2021 season, wines are in shorter supply than ever - so prices have gone through the roof.

Again.

The wines are unquestionably good. That's what Burgundy does. But as the region's wines gradually become ever-more scarce and atypical - and ever-less affordable - how long will wine lovers stick with Burgundy? Will we look back in 20 years and say: that was the tipping point when Burgundy finally lost touch with reality?!

These are just some of the no-nonsense questions we're posing in this fresh take on an archetypal wine region where bucolic tradition is increasingly on a collision course with fast-moving  reality. 

We explore the 2021 vintage as a springboard to discussing the bigger picture in Burgundy - in which climate change looms large, as does the issue of pricing (with a bit of mysterious vine death along the way). Stardust gets a mention.

As for the wines - will we see Chardonnay being replaced by the likes of Savagnin, and Pinot Noir being supplanted by Gamay, Syrah, or even Nebbiolo.?!

We grill Burgundy experts David Roberts MW (Goedhuis) and Jason Haynes (Flint Wines), as well as growers Florent Rouve and Caroline Drouhin of Domaine Drouhin-Laroze in Gevrey-Chambertin.

What's more, we give our verdict on the 2021 wines and give some top tips both from that vintage and more general (but still delicious) drinking Burgundy we've discovered lately. (Also some ideas on alternatives to Burgundy.) You can find a full list of our recommendations in both these categories on our website (link below) - meantime the highlights we recommend in the pod are:

• White: Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon Viré-Clessé 2021 (c£28 per bottle, J&B): nutty, gorgeous white
• Red: Jean-Pierre et Vincent Charton Bourgogne Rouge Champ de Perdrix 2021 (c £19-20, Goedhuis): more funky natural style but sappy and savoury, grippy, perfumed
• Red: Drouhin Laroze Gevrey Chambertin Dix Climats 2021 (£58 per bottle, J&B): splashing out, but beautifully fragrant and classic red Burgundy

General drinking Burgundy

• White: Lequin-Colin Bourgogne Chardonnay 2020 (£19.50, Stone Vine & Sun)
• Red: Domaine Vaudoisey Bourgogne Rouge 2020 (£19.25, Private Cellar)
• Red: Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Rouge 2018 (£23.50, Wine Society) OR Domaine Derey Freres Marsannay Champs Perdrix 2018 (£23.50, Lea & Sandeman)

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E11 - Burgundy: The Tipping Point?

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.

Thanks for joining us - here's to the joys of wine, and cheers to you! 

Self-improvement - via a wine glass. With a side helping of 'vinous Kama Sutra'. 

But we're getting ahead of ourselves...

In our last episode we explored what we wine lovers want from the year ahead. In this programme we flip the camera round and take a look how we can be better wine lovers.

Suggestions like 'drink better' inevitably crop up. But so do more thought-provoking tips such as, 'Pair food with wine, not the reverse,' 'Give a bottle of wine that we love to someone who isn’t expecting it,' and 'Listen. Encourage. Celebrate.'

Supporting climate action is high on the agenda. 'Drink only wines from sustainable farming,' is one view, another is: 'Take a stand against wine in overly heavy bottles!'

Firm opinions are expressed on everything from shopping local to keeping an open mind (to other people's views as well as to unfamiliar wine styles), trusting your own palate, being humble, supporting small producers and retailers, pouring Pinot Gris down the sink, giving new things a go - and putting wine on the table not a pedestal.

In short, this is a largely heart-warming, occasionally challenging, certainly thought-provoking episode that will hopefully get us thinking about what it is to be a wine lover, and how we can each get the most out of this glorious liquid. 

Into this engaging mix are thrown the usual hodge-podge of random elements, from lobster mac'n'cheese to 'Naked on Roller-Skates' and artificial intelligence holding forth on 'wine tasting in the style of the Kama Sutra'. You've been warned.

We pair this zesty wine chat with a couple of special bottles to tie in with the discussion:

• Ata Rangi Lismore Pinot Gris 2009, Martinborough, New Zealand
• Ridgeview Sparkling Red Pinot Noir NV, Sussex, England
• Bride Valley Pinot Noir 2018, Dorset, England

Thanks to wine writer Libby Brodie, Master of Wine Peter McCombie and Master Sommelier Gearoid Devaney - as well as a host of wine lovers all around the world - for sharing their views for this episode.

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E10 - How To Be a Better Wine Lover.

We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do get in touch via Instagram or Twitter. Or you can star on the show - send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Thanks for joining us - here's to the joys of wine, and cheers to you!

So what do we all want from wine in the year ahead? What's top of our wish list for wine in 2023?

For some it's drinking better (or simply more) wine. If possible, for less money.

Others are hoping Pinot Noir proves to be a miracle cure and will be prescribed by doctors...

More realistically, combating climate change, responsible political engagement with wine and an end to the war in Ukraine inevitably feature.

And what of no-alcohol wine? The rise of organic and biodynamic viticulture? The quest for fresher wines, with moderate alcohol? Greater diversity and inclusivity in wine? Wine in cans? The growth of English wine? A return to travel? Wines with 'added value' (and less marketing nonsense)? And supporting independent wine merchants?

In this frank, opinionated episode, we take in a whole host of views from around the world and also hear from Master Sommelier Gearoid Devaney, wine writer Libby Brodie and Master of Wine Peter McCombie, among others.

Somehow, we also touch on poor taste in jumpers, serendipity, Damp January, the wine fountain of Irache, undies and their openings - and algorithms.

This episode paves the way for the subsequent programme entitled: How to Be a Better Wine Lover.

All details from this episode (including links we mentioned) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E9 - The Year Ahead: A Wine Lover's Wish List

We'd love to hear what you want from the year ahead, or how to be a better wine lover (or indeed to receive any pics of 'cool' wine jumpers) - do get in touch via Instagram or Twitter. Or you can star on the show - send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Either way, thanks for joining us - and cheers to you!

Wine is good. We want a good future for wine - and the planet. But wine has been described on this pod as, 'the villain in the climate story.' So what gives - and how to turn this around?

One UK wine retailer has sent out a rallying cry - aiming to be carbon neutral by 2024 and net zero across its entire business by 2040.  This retailer wants, ‘to be the most sustainable, ethical and responsible wine retailer in the world.’ 

These are big aims - and they belong to The Wine Society. So Peter, ever wary of greenwashing and over-hype, heads over to their HQ in Stevenage to poke around behind the scenes and ask the hard questions like: how on earth can this be done, what are the key challenges to overcome, how much will it cost, will the wines change as a result, and what even is a 'sustainability scorecard'?

Along the way we talk insetting (as opposed to offsetting), right-weighting, the demonisation of plastic, solar power, heavy bottles and saying goodbye to capsules.

Even forklifts, sweet shops, Mars, bees, alpacas, Elon Musk, leftover wine and lunch get a mention. That, and growing wine in a greenhouse in space...

The world around us is changing - wine included. This glimpse into a potentially brighter future of course comes with the usual side-order of wine, as we recommend some delicious drops from sustainable producers stocked by The Wine Society, including the following:

• Lubanzi Chenin Blanc 2021, Swartland, South Africa (£3.95 per 250 ml can)
• Dog Point Chardonnay 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand (£22.50)
• Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas 2018, Paso Robles, USA (£20)

All details from this episode, together with photos to help set the scene, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E8 - Selling Net Zero Wine: Pipe Dream or In The Pipeline?

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch via Instagram or Twitter. Or you can star on the show - send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Either way, thanks for joining us - and cheers to you!

We're not kidding. This is the ULTIMATE burger. Especially if you're a wine lover...

Yes we've got the patty and the brioche bun. So far so straightforward. But the killer ingredients? A tawny port reduction ('wino's ketchup'). Blue cheese. Umami paste.

And to top it all off? Truffle mustard mayo.

So yes, in this fun episode we attempt to answer that HUGE question: what wine to drink with your burger?!

After much research, thought and drinking of wine, Susie was inspired to create this recipe - the Umami Bomb. A burger designed specifically to appeal to wine lovers.

We then set to work - the first challenge is eating the burger while talking (not straightforward). But of course the point of the exercise is to explain what wines work best with the burger and why - featuring some delicious bottles along the way.

This was a fascinating and fun episode to put together, we hope you enjoy it.

Wines featured in this episode:

• Definition Lodi Zinfandel 2019, California, USA, 14% (from £6.99)
• Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2013, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 14.5% (from £17.99)
• Piekenierskloof Heirloom Red 2020, Swartland, South Africa, 14.5% (from £19.99 or as part of the Grand Tour Wine Club case)

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic.

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our Umami Bomb burger is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E7 - Matching Food and Wine: The ULTIMATE Burger!

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

WOTY?! Don't mind if we do... Welcome to our TASTIEST show of the year (and that's saying something!)

In 2022 we're focusing on value to give you some ideas of delicious but affordable wines to suit the season's revelry.

No spoilers but we've got wines from France, Spain, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, USA, New Zealand - even Austria and England. (We did start off with just one Wine of the Year but couldn't help ourselves throwing a few more outstanding wines into the mix...)

Dive in to find out what we've chosen! But this show isn't just about wine recommendations. This year we're featuring some of your (often funny, always thought-provoking) feedback and questions.

We touch on whether Wine Blast sends babies to sleep, how a champagne-Sauternes cocktail is better than paracetamol, why a storage fire inspired better drinking habits, how we saved a listener's wine treasures, what ISN'T hipster wine and whether or not it's a good idea to let wines breathe.

Not only that, but we discover - via a listener's brilliant question about what constitutes a 'silly money' wine - an entire Wine Blast episode that was never aired because.....we forgot all about it.

We blame the wine.

In the midst of all this chaos, Susie touches on the importance of ageing disgracefully, Peter talks tasting with giraffes, we weigh up an alternative career as agony aunts and somehow find time to recommend everything from a value cremant to a red that's like 'aged claret on speed'. There's even the odd magnum in the mix. As well as sherry. There's always sherry.

Looking ahead, we'd love to hear your thoughts on subjects to tackle in our inimitable style in 2023 - so do get in touch! Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

All links, photos, wines and more details can be found on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E6 - Our WINE(S) OF THE YEAR 2022! Thanks again for tuning in and joining us this year.

This is not just any old fish pie. This is LUXURY fish pie. And we've got some properly luxuriant wines to match...

There's nothing worse than a dry, eggy, potato-drenched fish pie. Our version uses smoked fish, chunky prawns, mustard, cream and cheddar - so we need some seriously high octane wines.

No sense fooling around: this is rich white wine territory. One of our favourite styles of all. We choose two classic grape varieties that work really well across a range of styles - Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc - including a skin contact white (is it an orange wine?!) plus a leftfield white Cinsault just for fun.

We've pushed the boat out with the wines because this is a treat of a dish (a good option around Christmas time too, for what it's worth). Enjoy!

Wines featured in this episode:

• Thorne & Daughters Menagerie Chardonnay 2020, South Africa (from £19.99)
• Rijckaert F Rouve Saint Veran Haute Cuvee 2020, France (from £16.99)
• Bruce Jack Ghost in the Machine Skin Contact Chenin Blanc 2022, South Africa (from £12.99)
• Stellenrust The Apprentice White Cinsault 2020, South Africa (from £18.99)

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic.

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our smoky fish pie is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E5 - Matching Food and Wine: Fish Pie!

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

A new report predicts climate change will see English red wine becoming the norm rather than the exception as part of a global shift that will upend the world's wine map as we know it.

It's a tough one to get your head around.

On the one hand, these are exciting times for English winemakers.

On the other, climate change represents an existential threat to humanity. Plus, although rising temperatures making wine more viable and diverse in the UK, climate change is also bringing unpredictability, extreme events, and new pests and diseases, among many other challenges.

It's also proving a major threat to existing wine regions, especially warmer, drier ones.

In this bumper episode, we cross-examine the report's author, viti-climatologist Dr Alistair Nesbitt, in a fascinating interview.

We then follow up with some uncompromising views from the vineyard courtesy of Gusbourne's Charlie Holland, Balfour's Fergus Elias, Tillingham's Ben Walgate and Adrian Pike of Westwell.

We keep things chipper and upbeat as we discuss the everything from climate change to the torrid 2022 vintage, the prospect of 'great English Riesling', rosé, the future of appellations (and the controversial Sussex PDO), wine in Scotland, qvevri...and of course the thorny issue of price.

Along the way we somehow manage to turn the episode into an extended movie pitch for various concepts, from a wino's Dr Who to a Riesling Show-Down and even a 'wild western'. It's....refreshingly different (and all makes sense once you listen).

Click here to link through to Dr Alistair Nesbitt's paper: Climate change projections for UK viticulture to 2040: a focus on improving suitability for Pinot Noir

All details from this episode, together with photos to help set the scene, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E4 - Red Dawn: English Wine and Climate Change.

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch via Instagram or Twitter. Or you can star on the show - send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Either way, thanks for popping in. This show is for everyone. Cheers to you!

It's a mid-week classic. But the BIG question is: what wines work best to make your spag bol taste like MAGIC?!

We tackle this weighty issue like the true gannets we are, featuring some delicious Italian reds (Montepulciano + Valpolicella Ripasso) as well as more quirky pairings, from a South African Syrah to a Chilean Pais. 

All the while talking through WHY things work as much as the specific wines themselves. (Oh, and there's mention of Pinky and Perky too - listen to find out more...)

Pairing wines with everyday dishes is really fun. Have a go yourself! Let us know what weird and wonderful discoveries you make.

Meantime, here are the wines featured in this episode:

• Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2019, Italy, 13.5% (from £9.99)
• Villa Borghetti Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2020, Italy, 13.5% (from £10.99)
• Radford Dale Antithesis Syrah 2017, Stellenbosch, 13.5% (from £18.99 or in the £199 Wine Club by Majestic Grand Tour case)
• Spier Field and Flutter Cinsault 2021, Swartland, 13.5% (from £9.99 or in the £99 Wine Club by Majestic Discovery case)
• Morandé One to One Pais 2019, Maule, 13% (from £7.99)

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic.

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our spag bol is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E3 - Matching Food and Wine: Spaghetti Bolognese!

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Fancy joining us as we break into the Fort Knox of wine?!

It's an old mine and former munitions dump in the middle of the English countryside that now holds over 9 million bottles and £1bn+ of stock. It's one of the biggest such storage facilities in the world and one (whisky) bottle stored there recently sold for £1.2m.

Only downside? Security is tight. And you have to climb up 157 steps to get back out. Good thing Peter was actually invited in - and had a 'sustaining' lunch before the journey back up into the real world (including Cheval Blanc 1949, Krug 1996, Domaine Fourrier Clos St Jacques 2005 and Coche-Dury Meursault Genevrières 2010).

It's quite the adventure: something of a wine pilgrimage, which makes for a fascinating episode diving into professional wine storage, why some wines and people need it, wine investment...and of course an insight into how those very rare and special wines are tasting.

Very much related to the last point, this episode also features the audio treat of Peter trying his best to make sense while the wrong side of multiple delicious glasses and 100 feet under the Wiltshire turf in cavernous tunnels stuffed with millions of bottles of the world's finest wines. It's worth the listen, even if solely for comedy value.

All details from this episode, together with photos to help set the scene, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E2 - Inside the Fort Knox of Wine.

We love to hear from you so please do get in touch via Instagram or Twitter. Or you can star on the show - send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Either way, thanks for popping in. This show really is for everyone. Cheers to you!

First up: what on earth is a GREEN PIZZA??!!

Well, it's a summer vegetable tart. But we couldn't quite bring ourselves to have that as our title. So we ran with 'green pizza'. Which it...almost is. 

What it definitely is, is utterly delicious comfort food. As well as going superbly well with a whole range of wines. So our kind of dish. 

It cries out for a fresh, crisp white. Particularly those made from  Sauvignon Blanc...but not exclusively. Here's what we went with:

• Villa Maria Taylor's Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Marlborough, New Zealand (from £13.99)
• Zewenwacht Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2022, South Africa (£99 as part of the 12-bottle Discovery case from Wine Club by Majestic)
• Domäne Wachau Weissenkirchen Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2021, Wachau, Austria (from £14.99)

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic.

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our 'green pizza' is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E1 - Matching Food and Wine: 'Green Pizza'!

Do send us in your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you! What do you think of our choices? What are your favourite food-and-wine matches?

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Susie and Peter are back! Still Masters of Wine, still married (the wine helps) and still serving up thrills and spills for your general delectation.

Season 4 dives right back in where they left off,  and promises tons of great wine content, thought-provoking angles, top guests, listener questions answered, opinion, food, recommendations - and of course a lot of fun too…

So welcome back - or welcome. This podcast is for everyone with an open mind and a healthy thirst. No need to catch up, just hop on board, make sure you subscribe to enjoy the ride, then tell all your friends (as well as leaving a nice rating and review!)

Susie & Peter's aim is always to entertain - so they thought, rather than do a boring old standard Trailer, they'd put together a 'best bits' highlights reel featuring some of the fun and games from Season 3. To give you a taster of what's in store for Season 4 (as well as a reminder of some very fun times, and how worthwhile it is dipping into the back catalogue).

Enjoy!

ps More details as ever on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 Trailer

pps Give us a shout over on Instagram or Twitter. Or, even better, send us a voice message via Speakpipe. We love to hear from you!

So: what wine to pair with your roast lamb?

Our answers might surprise you.

Lamb is a classic in the wine matching pantheon. But it's not as easy as it may first seem. In fact, we'd argue a lot of supposed matches are way off the mark.

Lamb is a very delicate red meat so needs a specific kind of wine to get the best out of the combination. Sometimes (in fact, really quite often) the best style of wine to pair with lamb is.....white.

Failing that, an elegant red - but beware even the so-called classic pairings, because they don't all work, as we explain.

This episode is part of our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. The wines featured are all available in Majestic:

• Domaine Maire Heritage Chardonnay 2018, Côtes du Jura, France (from £12.99)
• Borsao Tocado Garnacha 2020, Campo de Borja, Spain (from £7.99 or £99 as part of the 12-bottle Discovery case from Wine Club by Majestic)
• Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2018, Spain (from £13.99)

This short-form Live episode is also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The recipe for our 'roast lamb with a twist' is available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E27 - Matching Food and Wine: Lamb!

Do send us in your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you! What do you think of our choices? What are YOUR favourite matches with roast lamb?

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Curry. We all love it. So what's the best wine to drink with it?!

Here be answers. As well as a bit of chomping (sorry), mention of whipping (no idea how that came up) and of course delicious wines all in the mix.

This is a short-form Live episode, the first in our food-and-wine matching mini-series brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic.

It's also available in video format so if you'd like to see us in action, check out our YouTube channel: Susie & Peter On Wine.

The curry in question is a very simple and very delicious chicken tikka massala. So we're finding wines to match the aromatic spices, tangy tomatoes and creamy richness.

We come up with a classic match, a slightly left-field match and then a wild card option. All the way explaining our thinking so if you can't get hold of these exact wines, you can no doubt find similar versions to suit you.

The recipe we're using is inspired by our friend and brilliant food writer Jo Pratt, developed as part of our What Food What Wine competition. It's available, together with all links, photos, wines and more details from the show, here: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E26: Matching Food and Wine: Curry!

Remember: fight heat with sweet! Also: it's not always the wines that taste the best on their own that end up going best with the food.

Do send us in your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you! What do you think of our choices? What are YOUR favourite matches with curry? Any curry-related drinks disasters to relate?!

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Wines featured in this episode (all from Majestic):

• Definition Mosel Riesling 2019, 10.5%, Germany (£7.99)
• Nero Oro Rosé 2021, 12.5%, Sicily (£8.99)
• Casal Sta Maria Reserva Branco 2019, 13.5%, Portugal (£199 as part of the Grand Tour case in Wine Club by Majestic)

This show is brought to you in association with Wine Club by Majestic. Check it out!

Some people say choosing the right wine for your food (or vice versa) is too complicated. Or that it's all nonsense, so not worth bothering with - just go with whatever you fancy.

We beg to differ - in the most strident of ways.

We've both spent more than 20 years matching wines to food on TV, radio, events, podcasts and print. We know food is one of the best ways to make sense of wine, to learn more and to get beyond the pretentiousness - by focusing on basic flavours and personal pleasure.

Finding out what works best for you and yours takes a bit of time and an open mind, though. So let us help you!

This episode is the first in a mini-series (in association with Wine Club by Majestic) focusing on food and wine pairing. In this one, we sock it to the naysayers and serve up our 7 top tips to match wine and food successfully, illustrating the basic logic by pairing a series of wines to a cheese board. (The results are almost certainly not what you'd expect).

We also grill Majestic buyer Elizabeth Kelly MW on her favourite food and wine matches, guilty pleasures and top tips - and we hear briefly from Louis Roederer cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon and gastrophysicist Professor Charles Spence.

All that, AND we answer a question from Jonathan in New York about whether his wine fridge is ruining his treasured bottles...

Following on from this appetising entrée will be a series of short-form video pods, in each of which we'll take one dish and find a wine or two that works as a delicious pairing. Again, explaining the logic as we go along, and having a bit of fun along the way.

We hope you enjoy the episode! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Wines featured in this episode to match with cheeses (all available from Majestic):

• Chateau de Crezancy Sancerre 2021, 12.5% (£17.99)
• Marques del Atrio 2 Cepas Rioja Blanco de Guarda 2019, 13% (£199 as part of the Grand Tour Wine Club case)
• St Veran Haute Cuvee 2020 Rijckaert F Rouve, 13% (£16.99)
• Definition Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2017, 12.5% (£14.99)
• Castelanu de Suduiraut 2014, 13.5% (£12.99 for half)

As ever, all wine details, links, photos and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E25: Why Bother Matching Food and Wine?

Aghi Ourad is a Brit of Algerian descent who wants to change the way we think about wine from the 'Arab world' (his phrase).

Places like Algeria and Lebanon, where wine production has a surprisingly long history but currently operates in a challenging environment for religious, social or economic reasons.

Such wines from Muslim-majority countries, in Aghi's view, are under-appreciated and yet offer great interest and value for wine lovers. So he's set up a business, The Other Grape, to sell these wines and tell the stories of the people and places that make them.

Aghi has written movingly about suffering personal humiliation as a result of his 'Muslim appearance' and suffering from imposter syndrome with his own, European society. He's also very honest about the 'schizophrenic' attitude to alcohol in Muslim-majority countries like Algeria.

We quiz Aghi about the relationship between Islam and alcohol, as well as the wines from Algeria and Lebanon today. We also dive into the fascinating wine history of these countries - did you know, for example, the following factoids?

• Algeria was once the fourth-biggest wine producer in the world.
• Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia accounted for two thirds of the world's wine exports in the 1950s.
• Algeria was partly responsible for the development of France's famous appellation contrôlée system.

Peter also reflects on his recent trip to Lebanon, to film for his new wine and travel show, The Wild Side of Wine, and shares his insights into the wine scene there.

We talk indigenous grapes and unique wines, sampling a Lebanese Obeidy (white), an Algerian red blend from the Monts du Tessala, and a tiny-production Syrah from the Batroun hills of coastal Lebanon.

There's also poetry in this episode, as well as talk of big guns, power cuts, Islamophobia, drones, phylloxera and what exactly constitutes an, 'angry wine'.

We hope you enjoy the episode! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Wines featured in this episode:

• Chateau Oumsiyat Obeidy 2018, 12.5%, Lebanon
• Saint-Augustin Monts du Tessala AOG 2017, 13%, Algeria
• Sept Syrah 2019 Batroun, 14.5%, Lebanon

Links

Aghi's wine business we discuss in this episode is The Other Grape - you can get 10% off if you use the code SP10.

Here's a link to see the trailer and find out more about Peter's new TV series, The Wild Side of Wine

This is Alex Rowell's book Vintage Humour: The Islamic Poetry of Abu Nuwas

As ever, all wine details, links, photos and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E24: Wines from the Arab World.

Finally, do check out our previous episode on Lebanon (S1 E22) to hear from Chateau Musar's Marc Hochar and Lebanese wine expert Michael Karam.

Fancy tasting 18,000+ bottles of wine in a week? Humping and dumping 73,000+ bottles? Herding 250+ international wine judges? Dodging bottle crushers and giant wormeries?

And, after all that, the real question is: what's it all for?!

We go behind the scenes at the world's biggest wine competition, the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), to tackle these very questions and issues.

What even is a wine competition? What's the point? What does it mean when you see a medal or award on a bottle? What really goes on behind the scenes? And how do you start minimising the environmental impact of a giant operation like this?

We dive in with the help of DWWA co-chair Michael Hill-Smith MW plus members of the Decanter team including Events & Awards Director Victoria Stanage, Head of Logistics Simon Wright and Awards Executive Shivani Tomar.

To spice things up, Susie references Peter's 'legendary stamina' (deep breath) and threatens divorce. There's also mention of anaerobic digestion, violent disagreements, a heart-warming wine story from Ukraine, the dirty topic of making money and the world's biggest ever party. All that, and some brilliant wines.

We hope you enjoy the show! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter. Or send us a voice message via Speakpipe.

Here's the link to all the headlines & results from the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022. And to the Guardian piece on the Ukrainian winery that won gold.

As ever, all wine details, links, photos and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E23: The World's Biggest Wine Competition.

Cheers!

Wines mentioned in this episode

• Georges de la Chapelle Champagne Cuvee Nostalgie Brut NV, France
• Attis Embaixador Albarino 2018, Galicia, Spain
• Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja Gran Reserva Rosado 2009, Spain
• Albert Bichot Hospices de Beaune Cuvee Cyrot-Chaudron Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2020, France
• Madame Veuve Point Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes 2019, Burgundy
• Mossi 1558 Impetuoso Classico Gutturnio Superiore 2019, Emilia Romagna
• Bulas Cruz Diwine Douro 2020, Portugal
• Domaine Verzier St Joseph Empreinte 2020, France
• Bisquertt Crazy Rows Carignan 2020, Maule, Chile
• Morrisons Gran Montaña Malbec 2020, Argentina
• Vagabond Wines Chardonnay 2020, Essex, UK

Armenia is not the first country to spring to mind in terms of wine.

But this is one of the most ancient winemaking cultures in the world. The broader Caucusus region - including Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, is where the winemaking vine is believed to have first been domesticated.

By way of proof, a 6,000-year-old winery was unearthed in the Areni-1 cave complex in the Vayots-Dzor region of Armenia. And the country may have anything up to 1,000 different species of vitis vinifera winemaking vines - testament to its longevity in wine terms (the vine tends to mutate naturally over time).

And yet...what do we know of Armenian wine?

Relatively little, if you're anything like us.

And that has to do with geopolitics as much as anything else - from the Armenian genocide to the Soviet occupation, the 20th century was hard on Armenia and its people. Its historic winemaking culture suffered, and it was shut off from the world.

Now, however, a new generation of Armenians are daring to revitalise this somnolent wine history. We talk to two of them - Aimee Keushguerian of Keush, WineWorks and Zulal. Also Juliana del Aguila Eurnekian of Karas.

They're brave because the region remains imperilled. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan has seen vineyards and farmers caught between warring factions. This is life or death stuff.

But, from the little we've dipped our toes in these particular waters, it's clear to us that there is huge potential in Armenian wine. In wine terms, Armenia is most certainly one to watch.

We hope you enjoy the programme! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter.

As ever, all wine details, links, photos and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E22: Armenia's Ambition.

Cheers!

Wines featured in this episode

• Keush Ultra Brut Nature 2017 Blanc de Noirs, 12.5%
• Zulal Voskehat Reserve 2018, Vayots Dzor, 13%
• Zulal Karmir Kot 2018 Reserve, Vayots Dzor, 15%
• Karas Family Wine Estates White Blend 2020, Ararat Valley, 13.5%
• Karas Orange Wine ‘Kraki Ktor’ 2020, Ararat Valley, 12.5%
• Karas Areni 2019, Ararat Valley, 13.5%
• Karas Single Vineyard Areni 2020, Ararat Valley, 13.5%

Some wines or vintages achieve legendary status. The 1982s in Bordeaux are a case in point. So what's it really like to taste a bunch of 1982 clarets, 40 years on - featuring some of the best wines of the vintage? 

1982 was a year that famously split opinion - the Brits copping the flak for labelling it too high-yielding, too ripe and 'Californian' in style, saying it would never age. On the opposing side was American wine critic Robert Parker, who championed the vintage and later went on to become one of the most influential wine writers of modern times. 

As for how the wines have held up... In this episode, we spill the beans, while also explaining the historical context as well as the nature of the vintage and the individual wines tasted. These include Chateaux:

• Mouton-Rothschild
• Pichon Comtesse
• Léoville Las Cases
• Léoville Poyferré
• Gruaud Larose
• Ducru Beaucaillou

Along the way we discuss the importance of storage, other vintages that can lay claim to being the, 'vintage of the century,' British Railways, current prices for these bottles - and which modern vintages may prove to be as great as 1982 in time.

NB: Wine Blast Live is a video-podcast and you can find the video on our YouTube channel

It's also over on our website, where you can find the full Show Notes for Tasting 1982 Bordeaux podcast on susieandpeter.com

Did you know that sugar and brandy can be added to sparkling wine? Were you aware that champagne was originally a sweet fizz? And that it regularly had things like port, cognac, elderberry, kirsch and raspberry brandy added to it?

Now there’s a plucky English wine producer adding all sorts of fun things to his fizz – from Sauternes to Sherry, Madeira and Tokaji – to see what’s possible. His aim? To potentially help create, ‘a new category in wine’.

Welcome to the world of dosage. That small addition that’s commonly popped into to the world’s very finest sparkling wines – but which people don’t talk about very much. 

Think of it as a ‘good’ wine additive. Yet producers don’t tend to be particularly adventurous in terms of trying new things to add in their dosage. 

Until now. 

Our story starts with us trying these bold, experimental new English sparkling wines before launching into fascinating conversations with their maker, English Master of Wine Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, as well as sparkling guru Ed Carr of Accolade and Champagne Louis Roederer chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon.

Along the way we explain what dosage actually is, why it’s used and delve excitedly into its history and future. We look into why people describe dosage as, ‘seasoning’ for fine fizz, and what role oaked wine, brandy and various types of sugar play in its make-up. 

Some wine pros use the term dosage as shorthand for the level of residual sugar in a sparkling wine. But, as we discuss, that’s an over-simplification that misses the bigger picture and purpose of dosage.

We consider the trend for zero-dosage wines and explain why we’re not fans of this category – despite Susie having written her Master of Wine dissertation on the topic.

‘When it's done well, dosage can help a wine  taste sublime,' says Susie. 'The art of dosage needs more respect and awareness...and more winemakers need to do it properly.’

We hope you enjoy the programme! Do let us know your thoughts on Instagram or Twitter.

As ever, all wine details, links and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E20: Adventures in Dosage.

Wines featured in the episode:

• Hart of Gold English sparkling wine Brut, 12%
• Louis Roederer et Philippe Starck Brut Nature Champagne 2012, 12%
• House of Arras Cuvée 1601 Brut Elite, 13%
• Bollinger RD 1976 Champagne Extra Brut, 12%

What's this about the world's first 'pet nad' wine? Why has a wine-list-free restaurant been told to, 'stop being so bloody stupid'? Who is releasing the latest cynical glassware range?

And, STOP PRESS: hot-cross-bun gin??!! 

Yes, this is your latest audio instalment of the riotous, ridiculous world of Fake Booze, the entirely made-up news site focused on the world of alcohol. Consider this your critical update on world affairs from a parallel universe, which involves Alldie supermarket, goats and Yoda. Cheers!

WARNING: features a few sweary bits and rude topics. Definitely not one to listen to if you're easily offended. Or you're a sommelier.

To support Fake Booze, give to their Patreon here.

For more quality Fake Booze material, check out the website.

Show notes are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E19: Fake Booze 2.

You can also say hi over on Instagram or Twitter.

So what exactly IS natural wine?

How to define it - or is that even possible? What does it taste like? Why are we seeing so many natural wine bars, shops and events springing up? Natural wine remains niche yet it seems to be influencing mainstream wine - but how exactly? And why does natural wine get everyone so darn hot under the collar..?!

Join us as we tackle all these burning questions and more with natural wine luminary and RAW WINE founder Isabelle Legeron MW, plus Mel Xenaki from natural Greek wine producer Tetramythos. We find time to taste and recommend a couple of natural wines (though Susie does ask if one wine, 'really is safe to drink?!')

Isabelle talks about receiving hate mail, the difference between a 'living wine' and 'a lifeless product', why 'only natural wine can be great', plus why natural wine means, 'we have to re-frame our expectation of wine.' She calls for more transparency in wine, including ingredient labelling, so people can have the choice, 'to decide: this is what I want to put in my body, or this is not what I want to be drinking.'

Mel admits, 'it's hard to introduce yourself as a natural winemaker - because it can be offensive to the mainstream.' She describes her approach as, 'ethical', and calls for legislation to define and regulate natural wine.

We hope you enjoy the programme! Do let us know your thoughts on natural wine or beyond - contact us via our website or over on Instagram or Twitter.

As ever, all wine details, links and more are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S3 E18: Natural Wine.

Check out RAW WINE - the global community for natural wine producers and lovers. They have upcoming events in LA and London, among others. You can also find more details about Isabelle's book on natural wine and their new subscription wine club in the US (plus a cheeky discount code).

Tetramythos in Greece has some delicious natural wines we recommend in the show.

Here's the link we mention in the show to the Decanter piece on how wine lovers can help with the crisis in Ukraine.

This episode is dedicated to the people of Ukraine. 

We talk to two leading figures in the Georgian wine scene - John Wurdeman (Pheasant's Tears) and Irakli Cholobargia (National Wine Agency) - to get a sense of what the feeling is in the region, and what wine people are doing and can do to help.

Georgia, like Ukraine, is a former Soviet nation on the Black Sea that has had part of its territory occupied by the Russian military. These people are uniquely qualified to comment on the horrific events unfolding in Ukraine.

There's talk of tension, anger, fear, boycotts and suffering. Wurdeman dubs the conflict, 'fratricide,' but notes Georgians are forced to mute their opposition for fear of reprisals by Russia. Before the war broke out, 70% of Georgian wine exports went to Russia and Ukraine. That will have serious implications.

But it's not all doom and gloom. There is talk of kindness, solidarity, peace and generosity. 'You can see the flags of Ukraine all over Georgia,' says Cholobargia. Winemakers in Georgia are sending wines to Ukrainian importers to help them fund humanitarian efforts.

What's more, Wurdeman's UK importer Les Caves de Pyrene is funding transportation for Ukrainian refugees to stay with winemaking families across Europe. 'So hopefully we can have a little bit of love in an otherwise big nightmare,' says Wurdeman.

We also find time to touch on how and why Georgian amber (or orange) wine is so well suited to food matching, and how Georgia's ancient wine history is informing its present evolution. 

A final thought from John Wurdeman: 'The Georgian format for feasting is where you have an elected toastmaster and different subjects are touched upon: love, parents, children, nature, God, neighbours and so forth. And everyone’s encouraged to expand upon it and have a dialogue. It’s a wonderful way to get to know people, and a wonderful way to solve problems as well. It certainly seems to be more effective than NATO or the UN today! So maybe these international organisations should adopt the Georgian feasting model and we would find peace more quickly.'

If you'd like to support the excellent initiative by Les Caves de Pyrene, click here to access the crowdfunding (JustGiving) page to relocate Ukrainian refugees with winemaking families.

To learn more about Georgia, check out Peter's brand new wine & travel series - The Wild Side of Wine on WineMasters.TV It features everything from neolithic picnics in the middle of a thunderstorm to a winemaking centre for a ghostly cave city. Via Stalin, power cuts, a 400-year-old-vine, a vineyard with 400+ wine grape varieties - and a feast of wine, food and song.

The trailer for this show, plus all the usual details from this episode, are on our website: Georgia 4 Ukraine show notes on susieandpeter.com

Scooter basket. Pet coffin. Vinyl shelves. Zoom stand. Veg storage. Bird box. Fire starters. And, if you're the Prime Minister - for making models in which passengers are, 'enjoying themselves on this wonderful bus...'

Yes, all of these are the creative (sometimes baffling) uses to which wooden wine boxes have been put by creative wine types. 

But why do some wines come in wooden cases in the first place? What are their purpose - and, perhaps more importantly, their implications and their future?

This short & sweet Wine Blast Live version of our podcast is a response to this question from listener Andreas in Switzerland.

We feature input from leading wine producers, including breaking news from Château Langoa Barton in Bordeaux that they will be moving their entire 80,000-bottle production from wooden to cardboard boxes. They may even offer their customers the choice - with a surcharge for wooden boxes going to an environmental charity.

It's a tangent - yes, but a fascinating and fun one. Cheers to tangents!

For the photos (well worth a look) check out the link to our show notes: Boxing Clever on susieandpeter.com

NB: Wine Blast Live is a video-podcast and you can find the video either on our website show notes or on our YouTube channel

You can also connect with us on social media: via Instagram or Twitter.

Did you know that just changing the light and music can alter how you perceive a wine by up to 20%? Ever wondered why that bottle of holiday rosé was such a crushing disappointment when you got it home? 

High-tempo music can make a dish taste more spicy - lower-pitch sounds bring out bitterness in wine. (Though, 'we can't turn water into wine musically...yet.') Rubbing velvet versus sandpaper can change how you perceive a wine's body. Even the microbiome in our gut and mouth can affect our perception of a wine.

Welcome to the curious world of Professor Charles Spence - experimental psychologist and one of the world's foremost experts in multisensory perception. He follows on from what the Italian Futurists pioneered in the 1930s (and they, according to Spence, 'recommended turning up to dinner parties in pyjamas made from satin, silk, velvet and sandpaper, and eating the food without cutlery by burying your face in the plate while rubbing your neighbour's jim-jams...')

This is the first in a series of programmes we'll be doing on wine and food. Before we launch into the delicious nitty-gritty, we wanted to understand the world of taste and flavour in more depth.

So here we dive into the world of smell, sound, touch, sight, taste, atmosphere, glassware, bottles, genetics - and the future.

In the mix are hyper-directional speakers and sound showers, 'spit-in-bag' dinners, parosmia, artificial reality and drinking liquid gold.

What Spence finds 'intriguing' are, 'those potentially transformative or magical experiences that you might get by combining wine with food or music.'

This is our kind of science - and this fascinating episode serves as the perfect launch-pad to leap into the delicious world of food and wine. Bon appetit!

More details, photos and links are on our website: The Magic of Taste Science with Charles Spence show notes

Here are the links to Charles' books: 

• Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating
• Sense-hacking: How to Use the Power of Your Senses for Happier, Healthier Living

PS: this episode also features the brilliant winners of our Bordeaux wine giveaway, thanks to everyone for entering, and thanks to the Bordeaux Wine Council for DOUBLING our prizes in recognition of the quality and quantity of entries. Thanks also to Kristin for writing on social media that: 'Susie and Peter are just the right amount of geek.'  🤣

At one point, it looked like Covid was going to be the death-knell for Champagne. And then...the bubbles bounced back. Big time.

But things aren't quite the same as they were - in intriguing ways...

In this fascinating episode we catch up on all the latest hot topics from this famous and historic fine wine region in northern France with none other than legendary winemaker Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon of Louis Roederer (and Cristal).

And he tells us: 'The 21st century is changing everything.'

So what exactly is the 'new' Champagne all about? On the one hand, it's about admitting mistakes (sounds like the 60s and 70s have a lot to answer for). It's also about risk and the potential rewards for pioneers.

We make sure to have a couple of glasses of delicious Champagne wines to hand - entirely for educational purposes, of course.

There's talk of drinking glass pyramids, still wines, scallops, happiness, a tornado and the move from non-vintage to multi-vintage (yes, we do explain).

Life is too short for bland champagne! Do you agree?!

More details, photos and recommendations are on our site: The New Champagne with Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon show notes

Say hi on social media: Instagram or Twitter.

They're hotbeds of innovation, experimentation, affordability and sustainability. For as much as they fly under the radar, the Côtes de Bordeaux are instigating and leading a dynamic kind of change in the world's largest fine wine region.

So what are the Côtes de Bordeaux? Where are they? And who are all these mostly family-run, smaller-scale producers who together produce 1 in 10 bottles of Bordeaux? 

In this, the concluding instalment of our 3-part sponsored mini-series on Bordeaux, we dive in to find out more about the intriguing world of the Côtes de Bordeaux. We hear from Bordeaux expert Jane Anson and chat to Pauline Lapierre of Château Haut-Rian, plus we recommend some great value wines along the way.

What's more, we have a GIVEAWAY! So, if you want to win a mixed case of 6 bottles of fine Bordeaux, just recommend us to a friend and then let us know. Either tag a friend in a social post of ours (details below) or email us (details on our website).

OR click here to leave us a quick voice message via SpeakPipe (super easy - don't forget your contact details though!) 

We'll pick a winner by Monday 14th Feb. Entrants must be 18+ and deliveries can only be made within the UK. All competition details can be found on our website. 

Thanks for listening!

Tune into our previous episodes on Bordeaux, full of fascinating chat, opinion and interviews, which also feature everything from bats to non fungible tokens via robots, ‘heavy metal’ orange wine and the ULTIMATE breakfast cocktail:

• Bordeaux in 2021 - Wine Blast S2 E19
• Bordeaux's White Bank - Wine Blast S3 E4

More details, photos and recommendations are on our site: Getting to know the Côtes de Bordeaux show notes

Reach out to us on social media: via Instagram or Twitter.

Everything you need to know about the Burgundy 2020 vintage - in just 5 minutes!

It's a pretty special vintage (at least something good came out of that otherwise catastrophic year...)  But is it better for white or red wines? Was it warm or cool, big or small, what styles of wine can we expect? And, most importantly, what of the prices?!

In this quick-fire Q&A, Peter puts Susie on the spot, challenging her not only to sum up the wines in just 5 words but also to drink (Burgundy, of course) while she thinks - sometimes even while she's talking. 

And Susie has some quite eye-opening responses...

More details, photos and recommendations are on our site: Burgundy 2020 Brief show notes

This podcast is also available as a video: Burgundy 2020 Brief on YouTube

Reach out to us on social media: via Instagram or Twitter.

Listen to our previous (full) episode on Burgundy here: Burgundy in 2021

Wanna hear us get humbled and schooled? Interested in exploring whether expensive really means better when it comes to coffee and wine? Or how we're getting it wrong when it comes to storing coffee and wine?!

This is a collaborative episode in which we get together with Scott and Jools from the brilliant Adventures in Coffee podcast. We give them a blind wine tasting, they serve us a blind coffee tasting. Hilarity and humiliation ensue - as well as lessons about how to get the biggest bang for your buck in both.

There are tips, confessions, jeopardy and fun galore in this crossover episode. There's even mention of plastic beach balls, 'de-gassing' and 1974 Barolo. Enjoy!

Do check out the brilliant Adventures in Coffee podcast!

Buy our delicious English sparkling wines, with all profits going to the Marine Conservation Trust charity via this link: The Big English Wine Adventure.

Show notes and details are on our website: When Coffee Dorks Meet Wine Nerds on susieandpeter.com

You can also find us on social media: Instagram or Twitter.

Wines featured in this episode:

• Viña del Cura Rioja 2020, 13% (was £5 at time of recording, now £6.75, Tesco) 
• Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2016, 14.3% (from £13.99, Majestic) 
• López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva 2009, 13% (From £29.99 for the 2008, Majestic)

So: the big question. What to drink when you're not drinking?!

In this short Wine Blast Live, we share our favourite non-alcoholic concoction, one which goes some way to replicating the joy of wine. It's based on Aecorn Bitter, which is made using (unfermented) English sparkling wine grapes mixed with botanicals, mixed with Fever Tree Aromatic tonic plus ice and orange.

We also share a few other options. Including ways to be 'damp' rather than dry - eg by choosing naturally lighter alcohol wines, and perhaps drinking a bit less of them too. Like Riesling, or Hunter Semillon, or a fabulous Sicilian Catarratto...(well, we couldn't bring ourselves to do a whole episode of Wine Blast without some mention of proper wine!)

We touch on the evidence, which suggests a global trend towards increasing moderation on an ongoing basis rather than periods of abstinence. One of the reasons for this has to be the emergence of ambitious, high-quality non-alcoholic drinks over the last few years, a category which is growing fast (and includes the likes of Aecorn).

So: if you want a day off, our 'Anti' cocktail is a great option! Enjoy the pod.

If you have a wine question or challenge you'd like us to tackle, get in touch!

Reach out to us on social media: via Instagram or Twitter.

Check out the video of this podcast, and subscribe to our YouTube channel while you're at it, via this link: A Drink to Dry on YouTube

Details of all  products, plus a full transcript, are on our show notes: https://susieandpeter.com/podcast-episodes/season-three/a-drink-to-dry/

Listen to our previous (full) episode on Dry Drinking here: https://susieandpeter.com/podcast-episodes/season-two/dry-drinking/ 

Wine investment is booming - particularly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Regular headlines champion it as giving greater returns than not only the major equity indices but also other so-called 'alternative' investments like gold, cars and handbags.

But what exactly is wine investment? Why do it? What are the potential gains and pitfalls? What kind of returns and time-scales are we actually talking? How to get the most out of it? And what does the future hold?

In this sponsored episode with fine wine merchant Oeno, we quiz Director of Wine Justin Knock MW as well as Chief Portfolio Manager Sid McNamara-Rajeswaran on all the above and more.

If you're interested in finding out more about wine and wine investment, please contact [email protected] or see www.oenogroup.com

Show notes and transcript are on our website via this link: Investing in Wine on susieandpeter.com

Catch up with us and say hi on Instagram or Twitter - we'd love to hear from you. Cheers!

At this time of year, we get asked two things. What wines we'd recommend. And will we wear silly Christmas stuff. So here you go - the double whammy, all wrapped up in a brand new format: Wine Blast Live, a 5-minute video-podcast, for your delectation.

Listen (or watch) as we try to gloss over our absurd festive attire while recommending our three top wines of the year, including a bargain option, the best wine we've ever tried out of a can (a white, as it happens), and a gorgeous red that represents a large slice of humble pie for Susie.

You can watch on YouTube via this link (even if just to see just how tragic Peter's Christmas jumper really is): Susie & Peter's Wines of the Year 2021 on YouTube

Show notes, including all wine details and the video, are on our website: Susie & Peter's Wines of the Year on susieandpeter.com 

The three wines we feature are:

• Raul Perez Bierzo La Vitoriana 2018, Spain
• Banks Brothers Chardonnay No. 3, South Africa
• Santa Tresa Rina Russa Frappato 2019, Italy

Catch up with us and say hi on Instagram or Twitter - we'd love to hear from you. Cheers!

Oz Clarke has done most wine things you've ever thought of, and some you maybe haven't even imagined.

But we're not here to dwell on sex in a Margaux vineyard (though we do, of course, ask the question). This is about Oz Clarke OBE the wine titan, the great storyteller, the acclaimed author and broadcaster, surely the most successful person who ever claimed to have spent his, 'whole life avoiding getting a proper job.'

We try not to slur as we work our way through a bottle of 1985 claret and discuss what Oz would criticise about wine today, climate change, natural wine, his favourite (and least favourite) wine grapes, Bordeaux, whether Burgundy should re-plant Pinot Noir with Syrah (heresy though it might sound)...and how to disagree.

A sponsored episode in collaboration with Academie du Vin Library, publishers of Oz Clarke on Wine, who are generously offering £5 or $5 off the cover price when you use the discount code WINEBLAST5 at www.academieduvinlibrary.com

Show notes are on our website via this link: The Oz Clarke Exclusive on susieandpeter.com

Catch up with us and say hi on Instagram or Twitter - we'd love to hear from you. Cheers!

'Nobody thinks of wine as the villain in the climate story. But in fact we are.' So says When In Rome's Rob Malin, who spoke at COP26 about how shipping wine around the world in glass bottles leads to significant carbon emissions.

'We have to take this seriously because if we don’t do something about climate change, you can forget a lot of your nice wine producing regions,' says Oli Purnell of canned wine startup The Copper Crew.

WTAF stands, in this case, for Wine Traders for Alternative Formats (things like bag-in-box, pouches, bagnums, cans, kegs and plastic bottles). In this episode, we hear their impassioned case for building a more sustainable future for wine, citing figures showing glass bottles have nearly ten times worse carbon footprint than bag-in-box. Their secret weapon? Quality wines and new technology meaning no scrimping on drinking pleasure - while presenting a strong case for sustainability. 

We also get a sense of the overview from packaging experts WRAP. And along the way, we talk about featuring climate impact on labels, new ways to recycle plastic, cost savings of alt format wines, wastage, carbon tax...and Nero d'Avola on cornflakes.

Featured in this episode are:

- Rob Malin, When in Rome
- Ollie Lea, The BIB Wine Company
- Rich Hamblin, More Wine
- Nik Darlington, Graft Wine
- Oli Purnell, The Copper Crew
- Adam Herriott, WRAP

As ever, show notes for this episode (including our 'alt format' wine recommendations) are on our website. 

You can catch us and say hi via Instagram or Twitter.

Please join in the fun! For our Big English Wine Adventure, we've gone and made 3 one-off English wines, with all profits going to charity. Now the project is reaching its climax: the wines are going on sale on 25th November 2021. But we're no experts in making or selling wine. Our necks are on the line and we need your help...

We have some BIG announcements in this episode, which features plenty of drama, intrigue and jeopardy. We reveal our brilliant charity partner as well as the name for our sparkling wines - both of which were voted for as part of a public competition we ran over 5 years.

What's more, our labels have been designed by mysterious street artist Hendog so we talk illegal art and free walls. Finally, the tension ramps up when we taste our wines for the first time in 5 years: will they be up to scratch?!

We also spill the beans on how you can support the project - where and how you can buy the wines, and what your support will mean (not just to us, but a fantastic charity doing vital work). Thanks for listening, and for supporting - we really appreciate it!

As ever, show notes for this episode are on our website.  You can catch us and say hi via Instagram or Twitter.

Did you know Bordeaux used to be mainly white, not red wine? And that there's a universe of delicious diversity (and great value) to be discovered among the dry and sweet whites of Bordeaux (not forgetting the fizz)?

This is the second part in our mini-series in association with the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) and we dive headlong into the fascinating world of white Bordeaux. We talk to the brilliant Laure de Lambert Compeyrot of Chateau Sigalas Rabaud as well as 'renegade' winemaker Olivier Cazenave of Chateau de Bel. Bordeaux expert Jane Anson also makes a cameo appearance.

The episode also features the ULTIMATE breakfast cocktail (involving Sauternes and blood orange), masochism, robots, 'heavy metal' orange wine, the 2021 vintage, earthworms the size of snakes, rescuing Muscadelle, loving 'the game' and some amazing value wine tips. By way of bonus, both Susie and Peter break into what might be loosely described as 'song' at different moments.

As ever, show notes for this episode are on our website.  You can catch us and say hi via Instagram or Twitter.

Are you a bargain hunter, a new-experience seeker, a drinker-in as well as taker-out, someone with thirsty friends or friends to impress?

Whoever you are - we can help you buy wine better.

Buying wine isn't easy. So much choice, so little time - but getting the right bottle, and the right experience, makes a big difference. To help inform, guide and hopefully inspire you, we draw not only on our personal experience (confession: we buy too much wine) but also Peter's experience of chairing the Decanter Retailer Awards, a major UK competition whose 2021 results have just been announced.

We ask Pierpaolo Petrassi MW of UK supermarket Waitrose and Paola Tich of small independent merchant Vindinista for their go-to 'bang-for-buck' wines. Plus we discuss discounts, wine in cans, subscription plans, diversity in wine, own labels, sustainability, virtual events and POTENTIAL WINE SHORTAGES.

Somehow, lampshades and frozé also get a mention. To correct the karma, we recommend a great value red from Majestic and a Croatian white from Tanners. Enjoy!

As ever, show notes for this episode are on our website.  You can catch us and say hi via Instagram or Twitter.

It's gone from a joke to world-class in just a couple of decades - but what does the future now hold for English and Welsh wine? Will it be a case of boom and bust, as some are predicting? Or will this be the success story that just keeps on rolling?

We dive into this debate with plenty of facts and figures to hand, plus we hear from Dermot Sugrue (Wiston), Ruth Simpson (Simpsons), Sergio Verillo (Blackbook) and Josh Donaghay-Spire (Chapel Down). We talk about climatic challenges, the 'nightmare' 2021 vintage, over-production, sales, exports, wine tourism, controversial new brands and styles, still wines...and reindeer sausages.

Talking of success stories, this could be YOU as this episode features a FREE GIVEAWAY where you could win six (6!) award-winning bottles of brilliant English and/or Welsh wines. Just give us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts, then let us know, and you'll go straight in the hat. (Deadline: Sun 17th October 2021, but we'll still love you if you do it after then too.)

To top things off, we've also got a brilliant value English wine recommendation for you. 

As for how to get in touch, you can send us an email.  Or let us know via Instagram or Twitter. As ever, show notes for this episode are on our website. Cheers!

Something a bit different to kick off Season 3...our first ever EXPLICIT episode!

It's not what you're thinking. Just a few gentle sweary words. Because this one is all about Fake Booze: a bitter, twisted, dark and damp website stuffed full of satire lampooning the world of wine and drinks, whose strapline is, 'Like truth, but better'. It's the brainchild of hitherto respectable drinks journalist Chris Losh and it's painfully funny, so we wanted to get Chris on the show to bring us bang up to date with the very latest headlines, breaking news and absurd sideswipes at the world of booze. And to have a bit of a laugh.

The episode features everything from James Bond to human sacrifice via hobbits, Ginfandel, dinosaurs, hungover graduates and Sea-vignon Blanc. We definitely come in for a bit of a pasting too.

On top of all that, we manage to be serious for a moment and recommend a FANTASTIC value Sicilian red. Enjoy the show!

PS: If you like what you hear, please do consider leaving us a positive rating and review, we'd love to hear from you and we really appreciate your time in doing so. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Show notes, including a transcript, are on our website. Cheers!

And please do check out Fake Booze - it's quite brilliant. If you like what Chris does, please consider supporting him via Patreon.

We're BACK! We've unearthed the microphones from under all the empty wine bottles, fish and chip wrappers, and slightly damp Speedos, ready to hit the ground running with a fantastic Season 3 line-up. We can't wait to get going, partly because our first episode (coming very soon) is different from anything we've ever done before...

So if you like wine chat, a bit of a laugh, giveaways, fascinating guests, top wine tips, competitions, the odd recipe (did we say FREE WINE?) and the constant chance of over-sharing, this is the place for you. Plenty of you seem to like hanging out here (everyone is welcome after all): we've hit the Top 5 in the GB Food: All Time charts (Chartable), you guys are now listening in more than 140 countries PLUS we're up for a major podcast award! Thanks for your support, keep tuning in, here's to the power of wine + podcasting 🙏🥂

• You can find our entire back catalogue (from Burgundy to Bordeaux, Hugh Johnson to Sam Neill, wildfires to wine allergies, magnum Jenga to The Simpsons) on our website: www.susieandpeter.com 
• On our podcast home page there's a magic orange SpeakPipe button where you can send us questions to answer (and star on the show at the same time): www.susieandpeter.com/podcast
• You can find lots of fun wine content on our Instagram feed
• You can also catch us on Twitter: Peter's @wineschools and Susie's @SusieBarrie
• We are the slightly sheepish owners of a YouTube channel that's in a state of elegant neglect - we do upload our episodes there but don't really tend to it as much as we should.

The chief examiner for the Master of Wine (MW) tasting exam is a terrifying figure guaranteed to strike fear and despair into the hearts of all aspiring MW students. So we ask him how to pass the exam. And it turns out he’s actually pretty nice, and meditates in his spare time. A lesson to us all…

Beyond that, we hear short sharp blasts of top-quality advice and insight from two of the most recently crowned Masters of Wine: Jacky Blisson from Montreal and the first Italian MW, Gabriele Gorelli. We also get an insight into the trials, tribulations (and positive experiences) of former teetotaller now current MW student Sumi Sarma, who’s gearing up to do her big Stage 2 exams.

Not only that but Mags Janjo speaks eloquently about being a prospective MW student, what winning the Golden Vines MW scholarship means to him, plus the key issue of diversity and inclusivity in wine.

Somehow we also find time to touch on the questionable wisdom of Homer Simpson, mention Peter’s Mum and dwell briefly on the importance of home-made sausage rolls and ‘feeding the inner nerd’. We also get down on bended knee to implore you to vote for us in the People's Choice Podcast Awards. Thank you in advance… 

This is the final episode in Season Two. We’ll be storming back to start Season Three in September. Don’t go anywhere, you won’t want to miss it!

Goats, amphorae, Whatsapp, wine aged in space, terroir, bats, non-fungible tokens and sexual confusion all crop up as we look beyond the Bordeaux stereotypes in a sponsored episode with the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB). Sharing their expert views with us on the latest goings-on in the region are Bordeaux-based writer and critic Jane Anson (author of Inside Bordeaux) and Yann Todeschini of Château Mangot in St Emilion. We discuss everything from sales to sustainability via soils, biodynamics, biodiversity (including why Châteaux Cheval Blanc and Lafite are ripping up vines to plant trees), orange wine, en primeur, the 2019 vs the 2020 vintage and experimental new grape varieties. And there are plenty of top tips along the way for wines and producers that challenge preconceptions. 

What even IS a Master of Wine?! How do you become one? Which Jedi powers come with the title? Is it true the pass rate is under 10%? What’s the real cost, not just in financial but also time and emotional fallout? How diverse and inclusive is the MW body? Aren’t the days of ‘the expert’ numbered anyway?! 

It’s a biggie. So we’re doing this in two parts – this first one is about our own experiences of becoming Masters of Wine (MWs), and we don’t shy away from detailing the brutal lows as well as the giddying highs. We also share some of our tips and strategies for passing in double quick time (both of us won the Outstanding Student award in our respective years) and get the ‘establishment’ views from The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW). In Part 2 we’ll be hearing from a current MW student, a recently passed MW and that most mythical of beasts…a chief examiner. Buckle up.

What's the difference between English sparkling wine and champagne? Why bother doing the Master of Wine qualification? What's the story behind Wine Blast, and why is podcasting so suited to wine? If we could be any wine, what would it be? What to do with a wine festival in lockdown? If we could share a glass of wine with anyone, who would that be? 

We answer all these questions and more in an interview conducted expertly by Natalie MacLean and originally featured on her Unreserved Wine Talk podcast (Ep 118: Dream Wine Careers with Susie Barrie and Peter Richards). This is the second part of this interview; Part 1 is the previous episode of Wine Blast (S2 E16). 

We also talk about how to film wine TV amidst a global pandemic, focusing on Peter's recent trip to Georgia. Oh, and there are passing mentions of Blue Nun, the King of the Netherlands, epic orange Frysland cheese, a neolithic picnic, the WineGB Awards, a MiG fighter jet, personalised portaloos...and the importance of bubbles.

Our story - as told (in slightly roundabout fashion) to Natalie MacLean on her Unreserved Wine Talk podcast. Beans are spilled...apologies issued...we reveal our career low points as well as what wine has done for our relationship (Susie skates on thin ice). Also why Peter makes a bad Santa and what we think of the fancy dress tendencies of your average French marathon runner. Among other things. 

So yes, this is a re-run of 'Having a Wine Blast with Susie Barrie and Peter Richards', Episode 117 of Natalie's Unreserved Wine Talk, from Feb 2021, in which she interviews us (and chooses a few embarrassing photos of ours to prod us with). As part of our intro, we announce the winner of our New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc competition from our last episode, sharing  the funniest and best of myriad inspired entries, and say sorry for not putting out an episode lately... Part 2 to follow.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is one of the wine world's most dramatic success stories. It went from zero to hero in the 1980s and 1990s, stunning the world with its uniquely extrovert character, and paving the way for an entire nation's wine fortunes to be revolutionised.

Some people are a bit snobby about Kiwi Sauvignon - too easy, too obvious, too samey, they say. But the truth is that Sauvignon can be every bit as diverse, complex, age-worthy and fine as other great white grape varieties. In this episode we take a very DEEP dive into the subject, exploring in our longest episode to date what (and where) Sauvignon is, before moving onto its story in New Zealand - from virtual unknown to spearheading a wine revolution in New Zealand and now offering a range of styles that speak of regionality, winemaking diversity and (whisper it) fun.

We chat to James Healy (formerly of Cloudy Bay and Dog Point, now ABEL in Nelson), research scientist Dr Wendy Parr, Yealands chief winemaker Natalie Christensen, and wine merchant and restaurateur Melanie Brown. We also taste our way through an array of Sauvignons, from low alcohol to blush, from classic to new wave styles, from the young to the old via the elegantly oaked. Salmon ceviche and monkfish with asparagus risotto are on our table and we talk about other dishes too. 

This is a sponsored episode in partnership with New Zealand Winegrowers, who are kindly offering a prize of 6 bottles of the Sauvignons we highlight in this episode to one lucky winner. You just have to tell us what your favourite accompaniment to Sauvignon is - food, music, occasion, person, etc - by Friday 14th May 2021. 

We wanted to revisit this (our second ever episode) partly to laugh at our presenting style back then, and also because it's so full of enthusiasm, helpful tips and, most importantly, tales of young people (especially young women) seizing opportunities and forging brilliant careers in wine. And the odd second career too. 

We're also slightly amazed at how much we managed to shoe-horn into an episode in the early days of the podcast, because we also rustled up some student classics - spicy sausage pasta plus the easiest home-made pizza EVER – and lined up a selection of value Aldi wines (spoiler: not all go down well but there is a BARGAIN to be had). Some of the wines may not be available any more but, hey, the basics still hold. Our Wine A-Z takes in biodynamics before Warren asks how to tell if a wine is corked. 

In our updated intro (yes, we did do SOME new work for this 'bonus' episode), we answer a question from listener Thom, who's keen to know whether he should tackle his WSET Diploma exam when he's got a 2-year-old snapping at his heels. 

How do you fancy getting a name of your choosing on a wine label, benefitting a charity that’s close to your heart…and winning some delicious, unique English wine in the process?! That's exactly what's up for grabs in this episode, in which we discuss our Big English Wine Adventure, chat with superstar UK winemakers Liam Idzikowski (Danbury Ridge) and Emma Rice (Hattingley Valley), get excited about Essex Pinot and Hampshire Meunier...and throw around some wine puns on the theme of The Simpsons. Now THAT'S entertainment.

We launched our Big English Wine Adventure back in 2016 – the year of Brexit, Andy Murray’s Wimbledon win, the Brazil Olympics, Boaty McBoat Face and the warmest year yet measured on earth. We wanted to do something fun and collaborative with English wine, something people could join in and be part of, not to mention raising money for a good cause.

Over the course of three, historic vintages in the UK (2016, 2017 and 2018), we teamed up with Hampshire producer Hattingley Valley and brand new Essex wine estate Danbury Ridge, to produce three unique wines: two markedly different styles of Hampshire sparkling and one very fine barrel of Essex Pinot Noir. 

Now we need your help to find a charity to work with – as well as a name for our sparkling wines. Whoever submits the winning nomination will receive a beautifully presented and packaged full set of all three wines, worth around £100, plus a copy of our Essential Guide to English Wine. Deadline for nominations is midnight on Sunday 2nd May 2021. To nominate, or for more info, go to: https://susieandpeter.com/watch/english-wine-adventure/

The wines are set for release in late 2021 and demand is expected to be high, given the nature of the wines and the extremely limited quantities available. As a result, pre-registration is now open, via the web page as above. Don’t miss out!

You like wine. But you don't have lots of space at home. So what's the best way to go about starting (or improving) your wine collection? Listener Steven from Belfast asked the question, which was our cue to spring into action, doling out handy tips and advice, even doing a mini stock-take of our own at-home collection (with eye-opening results...) We talk to Nathan Hill, chairman of wine club/merchant Honest Grapes and himself an avid amateur collector when starting out, and Alexander de Valle of Bacchus Concierge, an independent advisor on building wine collections, who makes a generous offer to our listeners. You can save yourself money and drink in style by following the advice in this episode - though fans of Marie Kondo might want to look elsewhere...

Sommeliers. SO MANY QUESTIONS! What even IS a sommelier - or a Master Sommelier? What makes a great sommelier? How have sommeliers been affected by the pandemic, when hospitality has been devastated? What's all this about the lack of diversity among sommeliers? What of the very serious scandals that have played out in very public and traumatic fashion at the Court of Master Sommeliers-Americas lately?! 

Ultimately: what does the future hold for sommeliers, this proud and historic profession that has really been through the wringer of late? 

We ask these questions (and many more) of a star line-up of guests:

• Emily Wines MS, Chair of the Board of the Court of Master Sommeliers-Americas
• Audrey Annoh-Antwi, sommelier and front of house at Lorne restaurant in London and Be Inclusive Hospitality ambassador
• Jason Wise, director of the Somm movies and founder of Somm TV

And we get...some hard-hitting, thought-provoking and fascinating answers, which we discuss amongst ourselves while also recommending wines from Help4Hospitality AND offering you a fun prize giveaway. If sommeliers are all about hospitality - then this podcast is the same.
 
Dedicated to the memory of two fine sommeliers, and fine friends: Terry Threlfall and Gerard Basset. 

For some people, wine is a pain. Up to 10% of the population suffers adverse reactions from drinking wine - and often sulfites are blamed. But what if, in most cases, the exact opposite were true? That sulfites are actually the unfairly maligned hero of the piece, and there's another culprit to blame? More tantalisingly, what if proper action on this front could help many drinkers enjoy wine without having to worry about the side-effects?! 

We're taking a dive into the fascinating world of biogenic amines. These little-known chemicals naturally occur in our bodies and food and wine but, in excess, can cause the kind of issues we're used to ascribing to wine intolerance (headaches, migraines, rashes, flushing, palpitations, nausea etc). And what can keep their levels low in wine? That's right - sulfites. 

This episode was inspired by the recently published research of Sophie Parker-Thomson MW on the subject of biogenic amines and sulfur dioxide use. She says we need to talk about biogenic amines more, that the wine industry, 'should be very concerned about biogenic amines,' and it 'needs to act on this issue.' She identifies sulfur dioxide as, 'the fundamental tool' to ensure wine safety and calls for the creation of an entirely new  category for wines that are low in biogenic amines. At the same time, she warns of the risks of low-sulfur or natural wines that can be dangerously high in biogenic amines. 

So could 'the undeserved hangover' soon be a thing of the past?

What wine goes best with ketchup (or sweet chilli) crisps? What's 'ice cuvée fizz'? How to pair Netflix with wine? How good is Canadian wine, and which are the best ones to buy? Most importantly, how can you win prizes up to the value of CA$400 (or £260)?! It's all here, a small wine universe in a podcast. We're talking to globally renowned wine communicator and proud Canadian Natalie MacLean, who hosts the excellent Unreserved Wine Talk podcast (among MANY other things), and recommending a range of top Canadian wines. Natalie touches on many fascinating topics in our interview, from how she first fell in love with wine to her top wine tip, her advice for those looking to make wine a career, how women should aim high, dealing with an alcoholic father, how the pandemic has changed wine learning, podcasting highs and lows and food pairings. Not to mention ketchup crisps...which gives us an idea...

Time to spread the wine love! First up, we asked you lovely lot for stories about how and when you first fell in love with wine - so we not only have some brilliant stories to share but also have a WINNER taking away £125-worth of Balfour Winemakers' Collection wines. This is a sponsored episode in partnership with Majestic Wine, so we have some delicious recommendations from their range for you to get stuck into (and which also spread the love, eg to South Africa and California: wine regions that can really do with our support). As if that isn't enough delectability, we have a gorgeous recipe for miso beef with soy mustard sauce that's perfect for an indulgent treat. See?! We didn't even mention the word Valentine's...

A wine lover's guide to (relative) sobriety... What DO wine lovers do when we want time off the booze? What's the best lifestyle approach to minimise intake but maximise enjoyment? What are the best wine alternatives out there? Inspired by a question sent in by listener John, in this episode we look beyond wine and explore how to make the most of not drinking. We talk to Stuart Elkington, founder of Dry Drinker, who shares some great stories and insights, as well as to the makers of Chilean booze-free 'wine' brand Sinzero. On a personal note, we spill the beans on our own 'Happy Medium' (or FOTO) regime, the aim of which is to enjoy wine to the max while keeping the side effects to a minimum. We also recommend some great No & Low alternatives for wine lovers and even even take the drastic step of sharing our Intake Diary. (Deep breath...) 

It's hard not to hang on every word of Mounir Saouma's. He's a Burgundy grower with a difference - someone who's not afraid to go against the grain and challenge the easy stereotypes. He doesn't mince his words, which makes for a provocative listen as we talk climate change, pricing (sample quote: 'It's a disaster!') and the 2019 vintage. He even manages to bring Churchill into the debate... Meanwhile, we do a swift tasting featuring everything from a cheap Spar Bourgogne Blanc to a £360 red, and recommend some affordable Burgundies too. Finally, we air some of your inspired views on why you both love and hate Burgundy. This is the second and concluding part (albeit a stand-alone episode) of our Burgundy in 2021 deep dive into the wine world's most iconic region.

To kick off 2021, we dive right into the fascinating, frustrating, compelling wine world that is Burgundy. Iconic - certainly. Over-priced? Plausibly. At great risk from climate change? Undoubtedly. We explore these issues and more across two special episodes - and in this first part we quiz our fellow Master of Wine and renowned Burgundy expert, Jasper Morris, as well as buyer Rebecca Palmer from Corney & Barrow, agents for Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (among other things). We give our summary on the 2019 vintage, which is currently going on sale, explore how to find good value, the new generation, alternatives to Burgundy and biodynamics, all in the time in takes to sink a fine bottle of Passetoutgrains. Or Chambertin.

Is champagne a good match for fried chicken? (Or marmite?!) How do you make the perfect Christmas wreath...OUT OF CORKS? What are the best wines to enjoy during the festivities beyond the classics but including Pinot Noir? What seasonal clothing item of Peter's does Susie describe as, 'tasteless'? How to rustle up the most DELICIOUS sausage rolls at home, ideal for those pandemic-era outdoors meet-ups? These are surely the most pressing existential questions facing the human race right now, so we bravely dive in, revealing our WINE OF THE YEAR along the way. Thanks for listening - it's been a wild ride in 2020 and we look forward to being back (after a bit of a breather) in 2021. Stay safe, here's wishing you delicious festivities - and cheers!

So where does the humble glass bottle fit into the bigger picture of wine? Some are decrying its impact on the environment, citing the carbon footprint of smelting glass and shipping heavy, space-inefficient bottles around the planet. But glass has one of the highest recycling rates of any packaging and has served wine well for centuries, an inert container that has no interaction with its contents and allows wine to age and develop over time (or retain its fizz). As energy inputs include ever-more renewable sources, and shipping in bulk and light-weighting mean ever fewer carbon emissions per bottle, is it time to re-evaluate glass's place in the debate? We talk to British Glass technical director Dr Nick Kirk and Simon Lawson, GM Europe of Casella Family Brands, makers of one of the world's biggest wine brands, [yellow tail]. A partnership pod with British Glass. 

A trip to *hic* Hollywood via Napa Valley as we chat to Matt Crafton, winemaker at the renowned Chateau Montelena, about serious stuff like making elegant wine in Napa, the wildfires, climate change, sustainability, his lockdown wines and...the film Bottle Shock. This enables us to segue neatly onto a rollicking ride through our (and your) favourite wine movies and wine moments on screen, from Sour Grapes to Sideways, Silence of the Lambs, Somm, The Secret of Santa Vittoria, The Sopranos and The Simpsons (and that's only the letter S). Plenty of wine material to inspire fun and delicious drinking over the holidays...

'My day job is acting but my life is really wine and farming.' So says Sam Neill, world famous for his roles in screen hits like Jurassic Park, Peaky Blinders, Dead Calm and The Piano, but whose real passion is his Two Paddocks wine estate in Central Otago, New Zealand.  We caught up with Sam while he was quarantining after arriving back in New Zealand from 5 months filming Jurassic Park 6 in the UK. We chat wine, dinosaurs, ukeleles, lockdown, animals named after celebrities (like Merryl Streep the chicken), the antichrist's taste in wine, Burgundy, Charlie Chaplin, the quest to make great great Pinot Noir, and what's REALLY in Sam's mug of 'tea'... ps Part of this interview originally appeared on screen as part of our Wine Festival Online (www.thewinefestival.co.uk) but if you'd like to 'see' our full (unedited) chat, head to our YouTube channel 'Susie and Peter on Wine.' 

The wild, fun wine ride continues after a first season full of intrigue, deliciousness and, erm, magnum Jenga. For those who don't know Wine Blast, welcome! We don't bite (unless very thirsty). The show is for everyone - we bring wine to life with a smile, chatting to intriguing people all around the world , sharing our recipes and recommendations, and chewing the wine cud in general. You are warmly invited to share a glass with us, have a laugh and hopefully go away just a bit more inspired to try new things. Thanks to everyone who's tuned in and supported so far, what a brilliant bunch you are. We have very exciting plans for Season 2 - so please do subscribe if you haven't already, leave a rating and review, sit back and enjoy. Cheers!

Where's best for wine travel? (Well - we can dream, can't we?!) The best value bold New World Chardonnays out there? Greek wine? Why no love for Merlot? How to deal with being considered pretentious when it comes to wine?? We answer your burning wine questions and pick our favourite highlights from the 30 episodes to date in this fun, momentous culmination to Season 1 of Wine Blast. And it has been a blast, THANK YOU everyone for listening, supporting, recommending, rating, reviewing and getting in touch. Don't go anywhere because Season 2 starts straight away, we've got lots of exciting new plans to reveal - we can't wait to get started. See you there - and, in the meantime, cheers! 

We use our wine festival (formerly Wine Festival Winchester, this year Wine Festival Online) as a springboard to talk English wine, wine education, making a wine festival happen in lockdown, events in general and how normal people engage with wine. We chat to acclaimed English winemaker Emma Rice of Hattingley Valley, Erica Dent of Enjoy Discovering Wine and Tony, who has a great story to tell about his own personal Damascene conversion to wine. As Tony puts it so brilliantly, 'Things have got out of hand.' Join us at Wine Festival Online on Sat 28th November, when things could definitely get out of hand.

So what's the BEST red wine grape variety? Ever? We asked you - and you replied in your droves, more than a thousand of you sending in weird and wonderful suggestions from all over the world. Thank you! We've compiled the results, and the funny comments and goings-on, and you can hear the results in this fun episode. We name names so see if you get a mention! (Sorry if not...) We also find time to talk to legendary Yarra Valley producer Timo Mayer (who's clearly obsessed with Trollinger - listen to find out why). We throw numbers and stats about like, well, confetti. And we name check a few good bottles by way of recommendations too (can't have you going thirsty). 

We've reached a tipping point in environmental terms. Not just in terms of biodiversity, climate change, pandemics and the like - but also in the media. Recent releases showcase this trend - from Kiss the Ground (Netflix) to Extinction: The Facts (BBC/David Attenborough) and The Food Programme's English Pastoral episode. All are powerful, terrifying, inspiring calls to action - and made us think about wine's place in all of this. Given we all share personal responsibility for this crisis, should we only buy sustainable wine? Should we both, as professional wine communicators, only recommend sustainable wines? What even is sustainable when it comes to wine? Can (or is) wine taking a lead in this regard - or not? We all need to be asking questions - of ourselves, the products we consume, the lifestyles we lead. And we can be positive, and much good can come of this. Including delicious, sustainably produced wine in a biodiverse, stable, healthy planet.

So what's been happening to wine during lockdown? It's the BIG question on everyone's lips - and the answer is not what you might expect. We dive right into the debate, throwing about facts, figures and opinions as we go. It does seem as if people revert to the familiar in times of crisis - and we're not afraid to treat ourselves a bit either. With this in mind, we launch a Twitter hullabaloo then taste test the biggest of all wine brands (car crash? Maybe...) After all that excitement, we go to the other end of the spectrum and get views from historic club The Wine Society and 'counter-cultural' wine bar and shop Diogenes the Dog. It's another wine rollercoaster of an episode - hop on, and don't look down.

Chile is a wine scene stuck on fast forward. Many of the most exciting projects lately have been developed in the country's deep south, where the cooler conditions mean more elegant, refreshing wines (and respite from a decade-long drought). And these aren't projects for the faint-hearted: we visit a new vineyard on a remote island 1,200km south of Santiago - and another on the side of a smoking volcano. It's not just about terroir, either - southern Chile is home to indigenous Mapuche communities, where poverty and disputed land rights (among other issues) have long been bones of contention with the Chilean state and industry. But now, alongside pioneering vineyards aiming to champion the south's remarkable terroirs, wine is providing new hope of social unity as a new project is launched by Viña San Pedro Tarapacá in association with the local Mapuche community in Buchahueico. It all makes for a compelling and intriguing future - one we explore in this episode. (We also announce the winners of our WineGB giveaway!)

There is FREE medal-winning wine to be won for UK-based wine lovers in this episode, which ties in with the virtual ceremony for the Wine GB Awards 2020. Tune in for more details! Also to hear Susie’s views, in the wake of the trophy announcements for these awards, on what, where and who are providing the real excitement in English and Welsh wine right now. There are also some up-to-date stats on English and Welsh wines to share. The concluding part to Judging Britain’s Best Wines Part I.

As one of the best-selling wine writers of all time, with millions of sales to his name and global renown, Hugh Johnson OBE needs little introduction. For this exclusive interview, we head into the privacy of his London home for a rare no-holds-barred, funny, wide-ranging, moving, eye-opening chat. It’s intimate, controversial and thought-provoking. There are few things we don’t cover, and Hugh doesn’t pull his punches. Scoring wines out of 100 points is ‘dangerous’. Some fine wine has entered the ‘tedious’ territory of luxury goods. Over-oaked wines are ‘posh gloss’. Regarding climate change, ‘people need to change pretty smartly.’ Those featured range from Elizabeth David to André Simon, Napoleon, Robert Parker and William Pitt. Hugh talks about tasting wine from 1540, how the English used to be, ‘sozzled all the time,’ the challenges of making wine TV and the emergence of a new ‘Cote d’Or’ in England. 

How can wine lovers help Lebanon in its hour of need? Lebanese wine expert Michael Karam and Chateau Musar’s Marc Hochar talk us through the finer points, all the while educating us about Lebanon’s fascinating (and very, very long) history with wine and its current day challenges including the massive recent explosion in the port area of Beirut. We give a plug to some of the fundraising initiatives taking place around the world and recommend a line-up of delicious Lebanese wines. 

So how do you go about judging nigh-on 300 of the finest English and Welsh wines amid the Covid chaos? Susie reports back from chairing the WineGB Awards 2020 – a bit different from the norm, featuring an aircraft hangar, personalised portaloos, being brought to tears…and English sparkling Merlot (yes, really – and no, the last two things aren’t connected). 

There’s a quick word on Wine Festival Winchester 2020 going online (save the date: 28th November!) Susie gives her top tips on what to look out for in English and Welsh wine right now, and where to buy it. Peter pushes her on what to steer clear of too… Look out for Part II, out in early September as the trophies are announced and Susie wants to get a few more things off her chest.

It’s like trying to eat your favourite food with tweezers. Or listening to your best tunes with a goldfish bowl over your head. If you buy a nice bottle of wine then serve it wrong, you’re wasting your time as well as money. In this episode, we tackle the thorny issue of how to serve your wine right, with a couple of helpful tips to remember. And it can make your wine taste so much better! Roped in to give their expert views are Master Sommelier Laura Rhys and hotelier Robin Hutson. The discussion covers temperature (including our infamous 20-20 rule), glasses, decanters, gadgets, corked wine, calmness, people and… keeping it real. (Sample quote: ‘Wine’s there to be enjoyed, no point analysing it to bl**dy death.’) There’s also a rude Dutch interlude to start and, to finish, we resume our quirky Wine A-Z, decoding wine speak. This time it’s C for Chardonnay. 

Go on. What's the best rosé wine you've ever had? For Lee Isaacs, rosé is 'a crime' and, if you like it, 'you're a bad person' (or, at best, indecisive). Global rosé expert Elizabeth Gabay MW thinks we're too snobbish about the sweet stuff and has had delicious rosés as old as 1959. Majestic's Jack Merrylees thinks the best way to get a party started is with rosé...in magnum. In this episode, we get tickled pink by all this and more, discussing some of our favourite rosés (we're big, big fans), and the likes of Hugh Johnson, Randall Grahm and Kylie Minogue also crop up in proceedings. Forget the best rosé...this may just be the best PODCAST ever. It's certainly the pinkest.

In our LAST Wine Survival Guide we talk climate change, ancient grapes and guitar-offs with Miguel Torres – and reveal our Top 5 Rioja Tips. Coming next time: we return to our normal Wine Blast schedule that was so rudely interrupted by Covid-19 - with a big splash on the pink stuff: rosé! 

Superstar Italian winemaker Alberto Antonini tells us about wine as meditation, how to be a ‘virtual’ wine consultant, his vinyl collection and his nonna’s wise advice on how to stop a mole-hill becoming a mountain. In his honour, we crack open two wines from Sicily, delving into this most exciting of Italian wine regions – and discuss the hot topic of vegan wine. 

Robin Hutson is one of Britain’s foremost hoteliers as chairman and CEO of The Pig hotels and Limewood group. He’s been a prominent campaigner for rural hospitality during lockdown, citing the millions of jobs supported by the wider sector and the difficulty of re-opening with two-metre social distancing rules. He’s also had to fend off criticisms levelled at his biggest private investor, Jim Ratcliffe, for accepting furlough despite being one of Britain’s richest men.

In a wide-ranging interview, Robin responds to his critics and outlines how the hospitality business can re-open after lockdown. (He subsequently announced the re-opening of his hotels for early July.) A noted wine lover, he also opens up about the new vineyard being planted at The Pig in the South Downs. By way of digestif, we chat rosé and sound off about the debut release from popstar Kylie Minogue (a French pink) as well as two English roses. The likes of Sam Neill, Graham Norton, Brangelina and Sarah Jessica Parker also get a mention. We also ask the question: what’s the rosé that lights your fire?

How to make sense of Riesling? Food is one of the best ways we know to make sense of even the most tricky of wine subjects. So we try out a delicious monkfish and prawn curry as well as some pork terrine to try to get a handle on the grape variety that came top in our survey of the Best White Wine Grapes. (We also talk sourdough – but that’s something else entirely.)

Another way to make sense of wine is to talk to the people who make it. One man who embodies the spirit of Riesling more than perhaps anyone is German producer Ernst Loosen. His prodigious mind is a thing of beauty in full flow, and we’re treated to a masterclass of Riesling evangelism (and the odd profanity). We even give our top 3 Riesling tips at the end. 

In our SHORTEST EPISODE EVER, funny messages sent with champagne deliveries during lockdown come courtesy of The Finest Bubble’s Nick Baker. (Our favourite? A close call between ‘Cheer up!’ and ‘STOP MOANING’.) As the weddings, birthdays and anniversaries continue to see sparkling glasses raised via the internet, we turn to the pressing subject of where to find the best Syrah wines – made in the aromatic, elegant style of the Northern Rhône – from the New World. We touch on Chile, California, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa before alighting back in our small back room with two large glasses of red. Cheers!

Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur Michael Baum is rebooting Burgundy, even under lockdown (which he rails against while being stuck in France, separated from his wife and boys in San Francisco). He explains why he prefers French wine to Californian, and talks about how coronavirus and his tech-based approach may help prompt radical change in wine – which is about getting closer to customers, at a time when close contact is challenging at best. Following on from Michael’s choice of ‘isolation wine’, Susie and Peter whizz through a mini masterclass on how to find good value white Burgundy – that holy grail for wine lovers. There’s even time to mention David Beckham (again…)

We asked a simple question on social media: what are your top 3 grape varieties for white wine? The reaction...blew us away, with a torrent of fascinating responses from all around the world featuring more than 100 different grape varieties - not to mention fighting talk, bonding, football analogies and cheating. We got a bit carried away with this podcast - it's our favourite one so far - but there is something for EVERYONE here: laughter, tears, David Beckham, sherry, scholarship (in the form of the fascinating expert Dr José Vouillamoz and his definitive tome Wine Grapes) and controversy. Talking of which, we give the DEFINITIVE verdict on the best white wine grape variety...

South African wine is in turmoil. The government has banned the sale and export of wine as part of its strict coronavirus lockdown and, while restrictions will eventually be eased, Cape producers are in shock: reeling from the long-term effects and implications of this dramatic intervention. We hear the views of three producers – Kathy Jordan (Jordan), Charles Back (Fairview) and Andrea Mullineux (Mullineux and Leeu Family) at this critical and challenging time. There’s also time for a quick BBQ (braai, Cape style) complete with a mouth-watering line-up of South African wines to recommend.

Bartholomew Broadbent is a wine importer on the eastern US seaboard and he has seen ‘atrocious declines in business’ since coronavirus restrictions began. He lightens the tone by singing Monty Python songs (always look on the bright side of life…) and has a few choice words to say about Trump. Meanwhile, in California, Eric Baugher of Ridge Vineyards muses on challenges and opportunities before choosing an ideal quarantine wine that, ‘just kind of lifts your spirits’. Sounds like something we could all use. Finally, listener Liz calls in with a question about Lodi wines and we respond by cracking open some delicious bottles.

What to do with a Michelin-starred restaurant that was due to close down shortly after coronavirus struck? If you’re Roger Jones, you re-purpose it to deliver monkfish and lobster dhal or wild mushroom and truffle risotto free of charge to local residents in need. That, and deliver some proper wines to an elderly mum who lives in rural Wales. To honour our guest, we throw ourselves into the kitchen, rustling up a very seasonal wild garlic and asparagus risotto. Which is really an excuse to find some delicious spring-like wines from the cellar – cue Sauvignon Blanc in abundance, plus a cheeky English Bacchus. And Peter has a confession for Susie...

It’s a sobering post-coronavirus outlook for wine in China, according to Shanghai-based Sophie Liu. She tells of a stable situation as people re-emerge from lockdown but a bleak panorama for the wine business. Sticking with the heavy-hitting theme, Susie and Peter explore the delicious topic of Amarone, exploring the reasons behind its highly distinctive style and heady price tag. They also ponder the pressing issue of which wines are best to bathe in, and revel in their status as unlikely instigators of marital bliss (of sorts).

Flying winemaker Paul Hobbs can’t fly. As one of the foremost globe-trotting wine consultants, he reflects from his base in California on the challenges of making wine remotely and offers a tip on Zoom etiquette (‘wear a shirt and work pants’). He confesses to being nervous and reveals his ideal quarantine wine. Meanwhile listener David asks us whether he could be happy with just one glass for all wine styles rather than the many he currently owns. Our response is fulsome and even involves an experiment we lined up…which of course involves drinking some nice wine too.

How wine supplier Berkmann is tearing up the rule book to help stricken restaurants – and buying director Alex Hunt reveals his other passion by sharing tracks from his latest (brilliant) album Closing Ceremony. We unwrap some snazzy new glasses from Jancis Robinson to taste Prosecco, Gruner Veltliner, Gredos Grenache, Ozzie Syrah and Barolo from the Help4Hospitality line-up. Plus, Susie has a confession…

As Singapore goes into lockdown, renowned writer and publisher Poh Tiong Ch'ng reflects (from a beach) on the local and global implications of coronavirus. Including some eye-opening thoughts about the prospects for the global restaurant and hotel trade.He also has a somewhat surprising choice as his ‘quarantine wine’. We then cheat when it comes to finding a wine for delicious porcini pasta, committing heresy by looking beyond Italian wines to things that are both leftfield and pretty indulgent. This episode even comes with a free book download… More info on www.susieandpeter.com

In our second Wine Survival Guide, we chat with Chilean winemaker Viviana Navarrete of Viña Leyda before recommending Majestic wines that are not only delicious and different but also ideal for the coronavirus lockdown. Viviana is understandably emotional and tired – she describes 2020 as the toughest vintage of her 20-year career. The reason? It’s all about the people, and her family. But she highlights the quality of Pinot Noir as a major positive and says the fact this was a hot, early vintage was a blessing in disguise given they can get the harvest done and dustsed before any further restrictions are announced. She also reveals her ideal quarantine wine…More on www.susieandpeter.com 

The first of our Wine Survival Guides – small antidotes to the current coronavirus chaos, where wine people tell their stories, detailing challenges but also sounding notes of joy. Via the magic of Zoom, Justin Howard-Sneyd MW of Domaine of the Bee explains how the lockdown in France has motivated him to appeal for help, and the ‘extraordinary, humbling’ response that followed. He also talks us through online tastings, magnum Jenga, Wine Gogglebox and re-purposing a Bryan Adams’ classic for the times. We then find delicious wines to go with a creamy dhal with turmeric-roasted cauliflower. More at www.susieandpeter.com

Wine is many things to many people. But credible career path (or second career) isn’t often one of them. We set the record straight by talking to young people who’ve made a brilliant job of making wine their career. And someone who made it their second career after defecting from finance. We discuss how wine can make a fantastic career, including how we both made the leap. Having worked up a thirst, we rustle up some student classics – spicy sausage pasta plus the easiest home-made pizza EVER – and line up a selection of value Aldi wines (spoiler: not all go down well but there is a great bargain to be had). Our Wine A-Z takes in biodynamics before Warren asks how to tell if a wine is corked. Show notes inc recipes and wines at www.susieandpeter.com

The catastrophic bushfires of early 2020 were a traumatic reminder of the ongoing challenge of climate change in the world’s driest continent. And yet Australia has never made finer wines across a dizzying range of styles than today. So what’s the future for Australian wine – boom or bust? After all that, we cook up some delicious curried meatballs, inspired by Ozzie chef Bill Granger, and argue over whether a Clonakilla Shiraz or Jim Barry Clare Riesling go best. ‘Alcohol’ is the starting point for our Wine A-Z education blast, then Mark from down under asks which wines he should keep (making it clear he doesn’t want any of the ‘science'). Show notes inc recipe and wines at www.susieandpeter.com 

Hello! We’re going to drive you to drink. (In the very best way possible, of course.) This show is for everyone with an open mind and healthy thirst. Here’s a taster of what to expect, as we chat with fascinating interviewees from all around the wine world, cook up delicious dishes then disagree over which wines to serve, whizz through Wine A-Z education blasts and answer the wine questions you’ve always wanted to ask. All in the time it takes to polish off a bottle of Brunello. We’ll also be serving up some Wine Survival Guide special editions by way of antidote to the coronavirus chaos. So please hit SUBSCRIBE, give us a nice rating – and join in the fun! More info at www.susieandpeter.com/podcast